Image source, Nicolas Lubitz
- Author, Tiffanie Turnbull
- Role, BBC News, Sydney
A tiger shark in northern Australia has given researchers the surprise of their lives – by throwing up a fully intact and famously land-dwelling echidna.
The team from James Cook University (JCU) was on a trip tagging sharks near Orpheus Island in Queensland when they witnessed the moment in May 2022.
They believe it is the first time a tiger shark has been recorded eating one of the spiky animals, which can grow to about 50cm long.
“When it spat it out, I looked at it and remarked: “What the hell is that?” said shark researcher Nicolas Lubitz.
“I managed to only get one picture, but you can see the outline of the echidna in the water.”
The researchers believe the echidna – a species which can only be found in Australia and parts of Papua New Guinea – must have been nabbed while it swam in the shallows or even between islands.
Known for their voracious appetites, tiger sharks aren’t exactly picky eaters. They’ve been documented eating seabirds, tyres, licence plates and even a small TV.
“I’ve seen videos of them eating a rock for no reason,” Dr Lubitz said.
It is, however, more unusual for them to regurgitate food, but he suspects this 3m-long shark underestimated its catch.
“It was a fully intact echidna with all its spines and its legs,” he said.
“In this case, I think the echidna must have just felt a bit funny in its throat.”
The shark was unharmed during the encounter and was subsequently fitted with an tracker and released.
The JCU team was part of a three-year, state-wide effort to tag species such as snapper, mullet, rays and various species of sharks with acoustic and satellite trackers, in order to gather data on marine life inhabiting each area.