Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Spear-fisherman Gets an Up-Close Visit From a Tiger Shark


Truly an amazing close encounter with a peaceful tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier).  A shoutout goes to YouTube user, oahusquid, for posting the above video.

Quick Facts about the Tiger Shark:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Galeocerdo

Scientific Name: Galeocerdo Cuvier

Type: Fish

Diet: Carnivore

Size: 3.25 - 4.25 m (10.7 - 14 ft)
Size Rank: 4th largest shark 

Weight: 385 - 635 kg (850 - 1,400 lbs)

Top Speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)

Life Span: 30 - 40 years
Lifestyle: Solitary

Conservation Status: Threatened

Color: Grey, Brown, Black, White
Skin Type: Smooth
Special Features: Dark black markings and large body size

Favorite Food: Squid 
Main Prey: Squid, Fish, Turtles
Predators: Humans

Habitat: Tropical coastal waters

Litter Size: 10 - 80 pups
Average Liter Size: 35

Threat to Humas:  Tiger sharks are extrememly aggressive animals and are thought to be one of the most dangerous sharks for humans to come into contact with.

Things found in "one" Tiger Shark's Belly: nine shoes, a driver's license, a cow's hoof, the antlers of a deer, medieval armor, and a chicken coop with feathers still in it.

Did you know?:  The tiger shark's reputation as an indiscrimiate eater that will swallow anything it finds, including garbage, has earned it the nickname "wastebasket of the sea." 

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