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Thorny Devil


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Thorny Devil
Thorny Devil
Thorny Devil
Thorny Devil
Thorny Devil
The thorny devil, also known as Thorny Dragon, Thorny Lizard, or the Moloch, is a small species of lizard native to Australia with there being no other lizard like the thorny devil anywhere in the world.

The thorny devil is a small lizard with the average adult thorny devil only growing to around 20cm in length and weighing about the same as the average mouse. The thorny devil is best known for having an extremely spiky looking appearance and the thorny devil can blend well into the vast Australian desert due to the colour of the thorny devils skin.

The body of the thorny devil has a very rigid structure which aids the thorny devil in collecting water. Amazingly, in between the cone shaped spikes of the thorny devil, little channels form along the thorny devils body which enables the thorny devil to collect water from any part of its body which is then transported to the mouth of the thorny devil.

As with many species of lizard, the female thorny devil is generally slightly bigger than the male thorny devil and tend to be slightly paler in colour, with the male thorny devil having a slightly redder looking appearance. All thorny devil individuals tend to change from a paler to a darker colour when they cool down.

The thorny devil also has a pretend head at the back of its neck which is used to mislead oncoming predators. The thorny devil dips its real head down and is therefore able to have a slight advantage on other animals.

The thorny devil feeds mainly on ants and collects the much need moisture at night time generally from forming dew drops. The thorny devil can eat some thousands of ants every day, which is remarkable for such a small creature.

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Thorny Devil Comments (15)

cool dude alex

"i did a speech at school i got good marks.Thanks alot"

waffles

"thx im studing the thorny devil"

Elizabeth

"pretty good"

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Thorny Devil Facts

Kingdom:
A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....
Animalia
Phylum:
A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....
Chordata
Class:
A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....
Reptilia
Order:
A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....
Squamata
Family:
A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....
Agamidae
Genus:
A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....
Moloch
Scientific Name:Moloch Horridus
Type:Reptile
Diet:Omnivore
Size:15-20cm (5.9-8in)
Weight:70-95g (2.5-3.4oz)
Top Speed:60km/h (37mph)
Life Span:12-20 years
Lifestyle:Solitary
Conservation Status:
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...
Least Concern
Colour:Red, Grey, Brown
Skin Type:Scales
Favourite Food:Ants
Habitat:
The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...
Dry desert and shrub land
Average Litter Size:6
Main Prey:
When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....
Ants, Termites
Predators:
When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...
Snakes, Human, Birds
Special Features:Spiky skin and water channels throughout body

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