Comparing a Bull Shark and a Tiger Shark
The 5 main differences between a bull shark and a tiger shark
The main differences between a bull and a tiger shark are that bull sharks are smaller, are freshwater tolerant, and prefer shallow waters. Tiger sharks are larger, can’t enter freshwater, and are usually in deeper water. Both the bull and tiger shark are among the scariest members of the shark family for any human to encounter. Only the great white shark is more famous, but the reputation these two have is still renowned. Although they are both large, predatory sharks, they are different in quite a few ways. While bull sharks are large, tiger sharks are listed as the second-largest predatory shark in the world, only behind the great white. Additionally, tiger sharks have a distinct appearance due to their camouflage striping along their sides. As they age, the stripes and spots fade, but their name shows just how well-known the stripes have become. Not to be outdone, the bull shark gets its name from its habit of ramming or bumping into its prey before attacking it, plus its rather aggressive nature when compared to other species. Let’s learn a bit more about what makes these sharks different.
Bull Shark vs Tiger Shark: Size
The bull shark is one of the larger predatory sharks around, although it isn’t nearly as large as the tiger shark. Most bull sharks measure between 7-11 feet long when they reach maturity, although rare individuals can get longer. On average, these sharks weigh between 200 and 500 lbs, with females being larger than males. Tiger sharks are the second-largest predatory sharks in the world, behind the great white. These sharks often measure between 10 to 14 feet long and can weigh between 286 and 1,400 lbs. The only other sharks that compare to the tiger are the great white, whale, bigmouth, Greenland, megamouth, sleeper, and the great hammerhead sharks. Of those, only the great hammerhead and white are truly predatory. The great hammerhead can grow longer than the tiger in some cases, but they are usually lighter.
Bull Shark vs Tiger Shark: Appearance
Bull sharks are stout, stocky sharks, giving more credence to their name. Additionally, their snout and faces are small in relation to their bodies. Most individuals are gray to gray-brown with a whitish underbelly. Tiger sharks are longer than bull sharks and have much longer pectoral fins in relation to their bodies. Their coloration is usually a blue or light green color with a yellowish or whitish underbelly. Part of what makes tiger sharks so famous is their skin patterns. Tigers have distinct stripes and spots along the sides of their bodies that fade as they age. These stripes help to camouflage the shark as it swims through sunlit-streaked waters.
Bull Shark vs Tiger Shark: Distribution
While both of these sharks are found around the world, they have slightly different preferences in regard to habitat. The bull shark lives in coastal areas in warm waters around the world. It rarely swims deeper than 100 feet and is most often directly beside the coast. In the Atlantic, the bull shark is found as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Brazil, and from Morocco to Angola on the other side of the ocean. It is also found from Mexico to Chile and Australasia in the Pacific. Tiger sharks are also well-distributed but prefer a tropical habitat, not just warm waters. They are found off most North American shores and in South America, plus Africa, China, India, and Australasia. Tiger sharks head towards the coast at night and retreat to deeper waters during the day. Some records list them as being seen as deep as 3,000 feet down.
Bull Shark vs Tiger Shark: Attacks
The bull shark and tiger shark hold the 3rd and 2nd places for the highest number of attacks on humans, respectively. Current estimates have bull sharks responsible for 95 non-fatal and 26 fatal attacks on humans, all of which were listed as “unprovoked”. Tiger sharks are statistically more dangerous than bull sharks, with 102 non-fatal and 36 fatal attacks recorded. The only species with more documented attacks and fatalities is the great white, with 297 non-fatal and 57 fatal. These sobering numbers show us that sharks aren’t a real threat to humans, at least statistically. Through the entire course of documentation, they have killed only a few dozen humans, while we have killed millions of them.
Bull Shark vs Tiger Shark: Freshwater tolerance
Tiger sharks have no such freshwater tolerance. If placed in a freshwater environment, they would die shortly after.
