Water
Like all sharks, tiger sharks need water to survive. Tiger sharks are saltwater animals that live primarily in warm, tropical waters, though they have been known to show up in some temperate seas as well. Tiger sharks can live and hunt in shallow estuaries but also swim to depths of up to 1,200 feet, making them versatile hunters in almost any ocean condition.
Food
Tiger sharks are eating machines and require a constant stream of prey to stay alive. They primarily eat fish and mammals like seals and otters, but have also been seen eating turtles, crabs and the occasional bird that spends too much time sitting in the water. Tiger sharks also eat smaller and less powerful sharks, since their large size gives them an advantage.
Safe Reproduction Area
Tiger sharks do not swim in packs or pods and are usually solitary creatures. When mating season hits, a shark will seek out a mate and then go back to solitary living. Tiger shark females bear their young every three years, and these baby sharks are very small. Because of their size and age, young tiger sharks make excellent prey for larger predators, so in order to survive they need to be born in an area that is relatively free of danger.
Prey Variety
Tiger sharks are known for eating a wide range of animals and even some garbage like nails and tires. However, because a tiger shark requires so much food to stay functional, it is estimated that losing even one source of food can have a massive negative impact on the livelihood of these sharks. Because of this, tiger sharks require a healthy environment filled with a large variety of abundant food sources; overfishing, pollution or human interference can destroy this shark's ability to survive.