A tiger shark has stunned Australian scientists on a marine analysis journey by turning a noticed land-loving echidna proper in entrance of them.
James Prepare dinner College researchers said on Thursday That they have been tagging marine life off the northeast coast when a three-metre tiger shark vomited up a useless echidna – a spiny creature much like a hedgehog.
Nicholas Lubitz mentioned he might solely consider that the shark wolfed up the echidna — too. Known as spiny anteaters – when it was swimming to the excessive locations off the island, or touring between islands, which animals are recognized to do.
“We have been fairly shocked by what we noticed. We did not actually know what was happening,” he mentioned Thursday. “When it spat it out, I checked out it and remarked ‘What’s that?'”
Lubitz mentioned he panicked to get his cellphone. “I solely managed to get one image, however you possibly can see the define of the echidna within the water,” he mentioned.
Nick Lubitz, James Prepare dinner College
Lubitz mentioned the useless echidna was intact when it was resurfaced in Could 2022, main scientists to consider {that a} shark had lately eaten it.
Echidnas – discovered solely in Australia and New Guinea – are egg-laying mammals, have spines protruding from their our bodies and use a beak-like snout to feed on ants. Accordingly WWFIn the course of the breeding season, echidnas prefer to type a “practice” through which as much as 10 male echidnas observe a feminine in hopes of mates.
It’s unclear what number of of those animals are within the wild.
“Tiger sharks will eat something. They’re only a white. I’ve seen movies of them consuming rocks for no purpose,” Lubitz mentioned. “I believe the echidna should have felt a little bit humorous in her 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 challenge, which ran from 2020 to 2023, scientists tagged 812 fish, rays and sharks with 10-year trackers to know extra about their actions and conduct.
Tiger sharks are ranked Second by International Shark Attack File Behind white sharks, for the variety of unprovoked assaults on people. Final yr, a Russian man Died After being mauled by a tiger shark at one in every of Egypt’s Crimson Sea resorts.
Whereas the echidna is just not thought-about endangered, one specific species of animal — Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna — is. Critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. One c It has been caught on camera Final yr for the primary time in many years.
