A tiger shark has shocked Australian scientists on an ocean analysis travel through regurgitating a spiky land-loving echidna in entrance of them.
Researchers from James Cook dinner College have been tagging marine existence at the northeast coast when the three-meter tiger shark they stuck vomited a useless echidna—a spiny creature very similar to a hedgehog.
Nicolas Lubitz mentioned he may just most effective think the shark wolfed up the echidna whilst it used to be swimming within the shallows off the island, or touring between islands, which the animals are recognized to do.
“We have been moderately surprised at what we noticed. We in point of fact didn’t know what used to be happening,” he mentioned Thursday.
“When it spat it out, I checked out it and remarked ‘What the hell is that?””
Lubitz mentioned the useless echidna used to be complete when it used to be regurgitated in Might 2022, main scientists to think the shark had most effective not too long ago eaten it.
Echidnas—which can be most effective present in Australia and New Guinea—are egg-laying mammals, have spines sticking out from their our bodies and use a beak-like snout to consume ants.
It’s unclear what number of of those animals are within the wild, however they aren’t regarded as endangered.
“Tiger sharks will consume anything else. They’re only a scavenger. I’ve noticed movies of them consuming a rock for no explanation why,” Lubitz mentioned.
“I believe the echidna will have to have simply felt just a little humorous in its throat.”
The tiger shark used to be unhurt after its spiky snack and scientists fitted it with an acoustic tracker sooner than liberating it again into the water.
As a part of the analysis venture, which ran from 2020 to 2023, scientists tagged 812 fish, rays and sharks with 10-year trackers to know extra about their motion and behaviour.
This article used to be first revealed through Phys.org on 6 June 2024. Lead Symbol: A juvenile tiger shark. Credit score: Albert Kok/Wikipedia.
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