In a surprising discovery, a hedgehog was found inside a tiger shark in Queensland, Australia. The hedgehog most likely swam between two islands and was unfortunately bitten by the shark. A team of scientists from James Cook University, led by PhD student Nicolas Lubitz, encountered the tiger shark regurgitating the hedgehog while tagging marine wildlife along the coastal area of Orpheus Island in May 2022.
Lubitz, who tracks the movements and behavior of large sharks in coastal areas, believes that the hedgehog may have been swallowed 1-2 hours before it was regurgitated. Tiger sharks, known for their scavenging behavior and vertical stripes on their bodies, are opportunistic predators that will eat anything they can defeat or that is rich in nutrients.
Tiger sharks can grow up to 6 meters in length and are responsible for the second most human attacks in the world. They have serrated teeth and can swallow prey whole, depending on their size. While tiger sharks are known to eat a variety of prey, including human trash, this is the first recorded instance of a tiger shark consuming a hedgehog.
The incident highlights the complex connection between food webs on land and in the sea, a connection that scientists are still trying to understand. Lubitz’s research on tiger sharks and their feeding behavior sheds light on the role these predators play in marine ecosystems and their interactions with other wildlife.