Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Specy

Thorny Devil

Reptiles

Thorny Devil is a lizard endemic to the arid scrubland and desert of central Australia, the sole member of its genus Moloch, and it grows to about 21 centimeters long. Its body is covered entirely in conical spines, and its ridged scales can collect water by capillary action and channel it directly to its mouth, an adaptation that lets it drink by simply touching a wet surface; it feeds almost exclusively on ants, eating thousands in a single day.

Facts
Classification
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 2
Scientific Name
Moloch horridus 2
Conservation Status
Least Concern 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Agamidae, Taxa
Source Thorny Devil (Wikidata)
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Thorny devil
  • system (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    The thorny devil (Moloch horridus), also known commonly as the mountain devil, thorny lizard, thorny dragon, and moloch, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae.
  • Speciesbox infobox, conservation status parameter
    status = LC
View the Source
2. Thorny Devil (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Wikidata Q320665 (P225 taxon name)
  • Statements section, conservation status (P141)
    IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
  • Child Taxon Of: Agamidae, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.