Thorny Devil
| Class: Reptilia:
Reptiles |
Diet: Ants, termites |
| Order:
Squamata: Lizards and Snakes |
| Size: body:16
cm (6 1/4 in) |
| Family: Agamidae:
Agamid Lizards |
Conservation Status:
Non-threatened |
| Scientific Name:
Moloch horridus |
Habitat: arid scrub,
desert |
| Range:
Australia: Western, North and South, Queensland |
 The
grotesque thorny devil is the only species in its genus and one of the
strangest of lizards. Its body bristles with large, conical spines, and
it has spines above each eye and a spiny hump behind its head. The tail,
too, is spiny. It is a slow-moving creature, which forages for its food,
mainly ants and termites, on the ground. The female thorny devil lays 3
to 10 eggs, usually 8, in November or December. The newly hatched young
are tiny, spiny replicas of their parents.
 
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