![]() ![]() ![]() This lizard's unusual gait involves freezing and rocking as it moves about slowly in search of food, water, and mates. Camouflage and deception may also be used to evade predation. These thorny scales also help to defend it from predators. The thorny devil is covered entirely with conical spines that are mostly uncalcified.Īn intimidating array of spikes covers the entire upper side of the body of the thorny devil. These colours change from pale colours during warm weather to darker colours during cold weather. Most specimens are coloured in camouflaging shades of desert browns and tans. The thorny devil grows up to 21 cm (8.3 in) in total length (including tail), and can live for 15 to 20 years. The thorny devil also has other nicknames people have given it such as the "devil lizard", "horned lizard", and the "thorny toad". The name Moloch was used for a deity of the ancient Near East, usually depicted as a hideous beast. The names given to this lizard reflect its appearance: the two large horned scales on its head complete the illusion of a dragon or devil. This similarity is usually thought of as an example of convergent evolution. The thorny devil is only distantly related to the morphologically similar North American horned lizards of the genus Phrynosoma. While it is the only species contained in the genus Moloch, many taxonomists suspect another species might remain to be found in the wild. The thorny devil was first described by the biologist John Edward Gray in 1841. It grows up to 21 cm (8.3 in) in total length (including tail), with females generally larger than males. It is the sole species in the genus Moloch. 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. ![]()
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