The tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier is a species of requiem shark and the only member of the genus Galeocerdo. Mature sharks average 3.25 to 4.25 metres (10.7 to 13.9 ft) long and weigh 385 to 635 kilograms (850 to 1,400 lb). It can attain a length of over 5 metres (16 ft) and a weight of 1,110 kilograms (2,400 lb) at maximum. It is found in many tropical and temperate oceans, and is especially common around central Pacific islands. This shark is a solitary, mostly night-time hunter. Its name derives from the dark stripes down its body, which fade as the shark matures. The tiger shark is a predator, known for eating a wide range of animals. The tiger shark, which generally hunts at night, has a reputation for eating anything it finds. Its most common foods include: common fish, squid, seabirds, sea mammals, other sharks, and turtles. The shark has a number of features which make it a good hunter, such as excellent eyesight and its acute sense of smell which enable it to react to faint traces of blood and follow them to the source. The tiger shark's ability to pick up on low-frequency pressure waves produced by moving animals, for example the thrashing of an injured animal, enables the shark to find a variety of prey. The ability to pick up low-frequency pressure waves enables the shark to advance towards an animal with confidence, even in murky water. The shark circles its prey and studies it by prodding it with its snout. When attacking, the shark often eats its prey whole. Because of its aggressive feeding, it often mistakenly eats inedible objects, such as automobile number plates, petroleum cans, tires, and baseballs. For this reason, the tiger shark is often regarded as the ocean's garbage can. This shark may be easily identified by its dark stripes which resemble a tiger's pattern. Its dorsal fins are distinctively close to its tail. They may encounter humans because they often visit shallow reefs, harbours and canals. Second only to the great white shark in number of recorded attacks on humans, the tiger is considered to be one of the sharks most dangerous to humans, along with the great white shark, bull shark and the oceanic whitetip shark. [READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE]
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