The sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus), grey nurse shark, spotted ragged tooth shark, or blue-nurse sand tiger is a species of shark that inhabits coastal waters worldwide. It lives close to the shorelines and sandy beaches of North America, hence the name sand tiger shark. It also dwells in the waters of Japan, Australia, and South Africa. Despite its fearsome appearance and strong swimming ability, it is a relatively placid and slow-moving shark. This species has a sharp, pointy head, and a bulky body. The sand tiger's length can reach 3.0 to 3.4 meters (9.8 to 11.2 ft). They are grey with reddish-brown spots on their backs. The sand tiger prefers to hunt close to shore, and shivers (groups) have been observed to hunt large schools of fish. Their diet consists of bony fish, crustaceans, squid, and skates. Unlike other sharks, the sand tiger can gulp air from the surface, allowing it to be suspended in the water column with minimal effort. During pregnancy, the most developed embryo will feed upon its siblings, a reproductive strategy known as intrauterine cannibalism. The sand tiger is categorized as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. It is the most widely kept shark in public aquariums owing to its large size and tolerance for captivity.
These sharks were also recently used in a successful experiment in artificial uterus development. (Source: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/09/artificial-shark-uterus/)
Read more about Sand Tiger Shark: Taxonomy, Description, Behaviour, Interaction With Humans, Habitat and Range, Reproduction, Conservation Status, Common Names
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“No more sand art, no sand book, no masters.”
—Paul Celan [Paul Antschel] (1920–1970)
“The way of Providence is a little rude. The habit of the snake and spider, the snap of the tiger and other leapers and bloody jumpers, the crackle of the bones of his prey in the coil of the anaconda,—these are in the system, and our habits like theirs. You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughter-house is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity, expensive races,—race living at the expense of race.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“They will tell you tough stories of sharks all over the Cape, which I do not presume to doubt utterly,—how they will sometimes upset a boat, or tear it in pieces, to get at the man in it. I can easily believe in the undertow, but I have no doubt that one shark in a dozen years is enough to keep up the reputation of a beach a hundred miles long.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)