THE DESERT DEVIL

❃ The thorny devil (Moloch horridus) is one of Australia’s strangest reptiles, covered from head to tail in an intimidating suit of sharp spines. Found across the country’s arid interior, this small lizard uses its sandy, mottled coloration to blend into the desert landscape. Despite its fearsome name and appearance, the thorny devil is harmless to humans and spends much of its time searching for one particular food—ants.

❃ A thorny devil can consume thousands of ants in a single day, capturing them one at a time with its sticky tongue. Its spines help discourage predators, while a large knob on the back of its neck acts as a “false head.” When threatened, the lizard may tuck its real head downward, presenting this spiny decoy and making itself a particularly uncomfortable-looking meal.

❃ Its most extraordinary adaptation may be the way it drinks. Microscopic grooves between the scales form a network of channels that can collect moisture from dew, damp sand, or rainfall and transport it across the skin toward the corners of the mouth. Perfectly equipped for a land where water is scarce, the thorny devil turns an intimidating suit of armor into one of the Australian desert’s most ingenious survival systems.