🦎
🏷️
Classification
Reptile
🍽️
Diet
Insectivore
⏱️
Lifespan
6–20 years
⚖️
Weight
0.03–0.1 kg
Population Trend
➡️Stable
Description
A small Australian lizard covered in spines that collects moisture through grooves on its body.
Habitat
🌿 desert🌿 scrubland
Extended Data
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Family
Agamidae
Genus
Moloch
Fun Facts
1
Thorny devils drink water by standing in dew — capillary action pulls moisture to their mouth.
2
Their 'false head' on their neck confuses predators into attacking the wrong end.
3
Despite their fearsome appearance, they eat only ants — thousands per day.
4
They can change color from pale yellow to dark brown for temperature regulation.
5
Named after Moloch, a Canaanite deity associated with sacrifice.