A hedgehog likely swam between two islands in Queensland and was unfortunately bitten by a tiger shark.
A team of scientists from James Cook University, including PhD student Nicolas Lubitz, encountered a tiger shark regurgitating a whole hedgehog while tagging hundreds of wild marine animals along the coastal region of Orpheus Island, situated between Townsville and Lucinda in northern Queensland in May 2022, according to the Guardian. The shark’s unexpected action left the entire group stunned.
The tiger shark may regurgitate the hedgehog due to stress when caught. (Photo: Nicolas Lubitz).
“My hypothesis is that the hedgehog swam from one island to another across the narrow strait, possibly in search of food or a mate, and unfortunately got bitten by a large tiger shark. I was very surprised because this has never been recorded before. I didn’t think sharks commonly ate hedgehogs,” Lubitz shared.
Lubitz is monitoring the movements and behaviors of large sharks in the coastal region, seeking a connection between available food sources and climate change. He believes sharks could digest hedgehogs if given the chance, but it is more likely that the shark regurgitated the hedgehog as a stress response due to being caught and tagged. The hedgehog was intact without signs of digestion, indicating it had been swallowed 1 to 2 hours earlier.
Tiger sharks can grow up to 6 meters long and are responsible for the second-highest number of shark attacks on humans worldwide, only after great white sharks. They have dark vertical stripes on their back and sides and are scavengers that hunt in shallow waters. Although tiger sharks consume human waste, this seems to be the first recorded incident of this species eating a hedgehog. According to Lubitz, tiger sharks have serrated teeth, and whether they chew their prey or swallow it whole depends on the size. “A large tiger shark can swallow a hedgehog whole. They can bite through a turtle’s shell and tear the flesh with their teeth,” Lubitz explained.
The researcher, who works for Biopixel Oceans, stated that tiger sharks are opportunistic predators that will eat anything they can overpower or that is nutrient-rich. They migrate through temperate waters seasonally and are often spotted in the southwestern region of Western Australia and southern New South Wales.
Last year, the research team captured another tiger shark, which also regurgitated intact fat and spine of a young manatee. According to Lubitz, the case of the tiger shark regurgitating a hedgehog illustrates the connection between terrestrial and marine food webs that scientists have yet to fully understand.
