The Thorny Devil Collects Drinking Water Without Moving
Australia's thorny devil, Moloch horridus, looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. You might not be surprised that it's also called the "devil lizard" or "mountain devil."
This spiny, desert-dwelling reptile is a marvel of adaptation, thriving in some of the harshest environments on Earth. It has crafty survival strategies, from its unique way of collecting water to its highly specialized diet.
What Do Thorny Devils Look Like?
The thorny devil is immediately recognizable by its spiky appearance. Its hardened, cone-shaped scales provide protection from predators.
The thorny devil underside, while less armored, also has a micro-structured skin surface with channels in between overlapping scales that helps the thorny devil collect moisture.
Early morning dew condenses on its body, and these grooves guide water directly to its mouth. This allows the thorny devil to stay hydrated even in the driest conditions, making it one of the most efficient water collectors in the animal kingdom.
This small lizard grows to about 8 inches (20 centimeters) in length, with males slightly smaller than females. Its color varies, often shifting from pale yellows and browns to deeper reds. This helps the thorny devil blend in with its surroundings. It's a master of camouflage in the Australian outback.
Classification and Regional Variations
While often mistaken for the North American desert horned lizard, the thorny devil belongs to the Lacertilia: Agamidae family, distinct from other "horned lizard" species.
Unlike some lizards with multiple subspecies, the thorny devil is unique in that it doesn't have recognized subspecies, but there are regional variations in Western Australia and the central deserts.
Local names such as "mountain devil" reflect its rugged appearance and adaptability to mountainous desert terrain, though these are not taxonomical distinctions.
Social Habits
Thorny devils live a largely solitary lifestyle, preferring to spend their days foraging for food or basking in the sun. They are not aggressive and rely on their camouflage and thorny exterior to avoid predators.
They only come together during mating season. Male thorny devils often engage in brief encounters with females, ensuring that courtship does not expose them to threats for too long.
What Do Thorny Devils Eat?
The thorny devils' diet consists almost exclusively of ants, and they could consume as many as 3,000 in a single day. Using their sticky tongues, they pick up ants one by one. It's a slow but steady process that sustains them in their nutrient-scarce habitat.
This diet is compatible with their sedentary lifestyle. They conserve energy and maximize their ant-gathering efficiency. Their reliance on ants makes them an integral part of the desert food web.
Where Do Thorny Devils Live?
Thorny devils thrive in Australia's arid landscapes, from sandy deserts to scrublands. Western Australia is a popular habitat for the thorny devil, and they can also be found across other arid and semiarid parts of central and northern Australia.
These harsh environments provide ample heat and plenty of ants, the two essentials for their survival.
Life Cycle
A female thorny devil lays three to 10 eggs in an underground burrow, which she carefully digs to protect the fragile thorny devil eggs from predators and extreme temperatures. After approximately three to four months of incubation, the hatchlings emerge, already equipped with their signature spines and scales.
Young thorny devils are independent from birth and must fend for themselves in the harsh desert environment. They grow quickly, reaching adult size within a year, and can live up to 20 years in the wild.
Conservation Status
The thorny devil is currently listed as a species of least concern, but ongoing monitoring is essential to ensure their long-term survival.
Despite their rugged appearance and resilience, thorny devils face threats from habitat destruction and climate change. As their arid habitats shrink or change, the availability of ants — their primary food source — could also be affected.
We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.
Original article: The Thorny Devil Collects Drinking Water Without Moving
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