Tiger shark vomits echidna, shocking Australian scientists

A tiger shark has stunned Australian scientists on an ocean analysis journey by regurgitating a spiky land-loving echidna in entrance of them.

Researchers from James Prepare dinner College have been tagging marine life on the northeast coast when the three-meter tiger shark they caught vomited a lifeless echidna—a spiny creature just like a hedgehog.

Nicolas Lubitz mentioned he may solely assume the shark devoured up the echidna whereas it was swimming within the shallows off the island, or touring between islands, which the animals are identified to do.

“We have been fairly shocked at what we noticed. We actually did not know what was happening,” he mentioned Thursday.

“When it spat it out, I checked out it and remarked ‘What the hell is that?'”

Lubitz mentioned the lifeless echidna was entire when it was regurgitated in Might 2022, main scientists to imagine the shark had solely not too long ago eaten it.

Echidnas—that are solely present in Australia and New Guinea—are egg-laying mammals, have spines protruding from their our bodies and use a beak-like snout to eat ants.

It’s unclear what number of of those animals are within the wild, however they don’t seem to be thought-about endangered.

“Tiger sharks will eat something. They’re only a scavenger. I’ve seen movies of them consuming a rock for no motive,” Lubitz mentioned.

“I feel the echidna will need to have simply felt a bit humorous in its throat.”

The tiger shark was unhurt after its spiky snack and scientists fitted it with an acoustic tracker earlier than releasing it again into the water.

As a part of the analysis mission, which ran from 2020 to 2023, scientists tagged 812 fish, rays and sharks with 10-year trackers to know extra about their motion and habits.

© 2024 AFP