Moloch, also known as the thorny dragon, thorny devil or thorny devil (Moloch horridus) is one of the most unusual lizards on Earth. It is not difficult to guess why this lizard was given such a name – just look at its appearance. The entire body and head of the Moloch are covered with spikes reminiscent of rose thorns, and above the eyes it has something like horns. The color of the lizard is reddish-brown, but can change depending on various factors, such as the ambient temperature, lighting or even the physiological state of the reptile. Despite such a frightening appearance, the Moloch is unlikely to be able to scare a person, since it has a small body size – about 20 centimeters. In the course of evolution, the Moloch has developed a number of interesting features that distinguish it from most of its fellows. For example, the lizard is able to draw water from the ground through the skin.
Moloch horridus is one of the most unusual lizards in the world. Photo source: australiangeographic.com.au
Thorny devil is a desert lizard
Moloch lives in arid bushy areas and inland sandy deserts of Australia, which is why it has such an unusual appearance. The lizard has a small, narrow head and a wide, flattened body. On its neck, it has a cushion-like outgrowth that resembles a head. Therefore, when Moloch feels danger, it hides its real head between its paws, leaving the fake one open with its “horns” sticking out. At the same time, the lizard inflates its chest to seem larger.
The thorny devil moves in a rather unusual way – it moves slowly, holds its body on outstretched legs and barely touches the ground with its tail. In addition, the lizard moves intermittently to confuse predators. This movement allows the lizards not to activate the pursuit and attack response in predators. That is, the predator is much more likely to rush into attack if the prey is running fast.
The Thorny Devil lives in the desert. Photo source: wikipedia.org
Despite its spines and all its precautions, the Thorny Devil sometimes becomes prey for birds and monitor lizards. It has no other natural enemies in the wild.
How the Moloch Lizard Adapted to Life in the Desert
The lizard has developed amazing abilities that allow it to survive in its habitat. In extreme temperatures, it burrows into the sand, thus protecting itself from the sun. But even more interesting is how the lizard gets water from the sand.
Moloch sucks water through its skin and directs it into its mouth. Photo source: observation.org
It should be noted that the moloch does not drink in the usual way at all. For a long time it was believed that the lizard simply absorbs moisture through the skin, as amphibians do. However, scientists later discovered with the help of an electron microscope that this is not the case. In fact, rainwater or dew, getting on the skin, under the action of capillary forces rushes along microscopic channels between the scales to the edge of the mouth. In order for water to get into the mouth, the lizard makes chewing movements with its jaws.
Thus, the moloch draws water through its skin into its mouth as if through a straw. Interestingly, the lizard's mass after contact with water can increase by 30%. In this way, it accumulates a reserve of water.
The lizard can change color for camouflage. Photo source: flickr.com
As mentioned above, the thorny devil can change color, which also helps it adapt to the environment. In this way, the lizard can regulate its body temperature and metabolism. For example, in the morning, when it is cool, the thorny devil has a darker brown color. As the temperature rises, the color becomes lighter. This allows it to better reflect the sun's rays and not overheat. In addition, sometimes the thorny devil uses a quick color change for camouflage. By the way, lizards are generally great masters of camouflage.
What does the thorny devil eat?
Moloch horridus was named in the first half of the 19th century in honor of the god of human sacrifice. The name was inspired by John Milton's poem “Paradise Lost”, which mentions the Canaanite god Moloch – a bloodthirsty character who demands child sacrifices.
Apparently, the author of the name, naturalist John Gray, thought that calling the lizard a Moloch was not enough, so he added the word “horridus”. It translates as “rough”, “wild” or “terrible”. However, in fact, the lizard is completely harmless to humans – it does not have any poison, unlike, for example, the Arizona Gila monster, and is not capable of harming a person in any other way.
The spiny devil is harmless to humans. Photo source: gascoyne-wa.naturemapr.org
The spiny devil feeds exclusively on ants, which it catches with its sticky tongue. It usually finds ant trails and captures insects, and does not touch those that carry a large load. During its hunt, the lizard tries not to exhale air downwards, so as not to scare away the insects with the smell of formic acid. According to scientists, one moloch can eat up to several thousand ants per day.
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It must be said that there are very few lizards in the world that eat ants. In addition to the moloch, these include North American toad-like lizards and some round-headed lizards. Despite the fact that these species live on different continents and in different habitats, they are similar to each other both in behavior and appearance – they have flattened bodies covered with spines, move slowly and bury themselves in the sand.