Covered in sharp spikes and crowned with horns, the thorny devil uses its prickly armor to avoid being eaten in the tough dry climate where it lives. This lizard feasts almost exclusively on ants.
Lots of Backbone: The spines that coat the thorny devil's body are strictly for defense. Predators just don't want to swallow something so spiky for fear of choking or injuring their throats.
Tough D: This lizard's defensive abilities only begin with its spikes. Its colors also help camouflage it in small desert shrubs. It can darken its skin to blend in with the sand, and it puffs its body up with air to look bigger and scarier.
Godzilla of the Ant World[]
A pale underbelly reflects the searing heat from the desert sand.
Patrolling the desert, the thorny devil is a real-life monster for the ant world. This lizard spends much of its time looking for a nest of ants, which are its favorite food. When it finds a busy colony, it sits near the edge and feasts with its sticky tongue. It catches and gulps down one ant at a time, eating at a rate of about 45 ants per minute, and up to 2,500 ants per hour!
Look Ma, Two Heads! A thick knob on the back of the neck deters would-be predators. When the lizard bows it head down, this spiky bulge makes larger animals back off rather than taking a bite.
Back Pack: The thorny devil can drink rainwater that falls on its back. The lizard tilts its body forward so the water runs through tiny grooves between the spines that lead to the corner of the mouth.
Desert Defense[]
- The thorny devil deals with many predators in its savage habitat every day, including the blue-tongued lizard. Tucking its head between its front legs, the thorny devil exposes the enemy to its spines.
- Not wanting to injure its mouth and throat by biting into what feels like a hard and prickly head, the predator crawls away to find new prey, leaving the thorny devil to survive another hostile day.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The trading card has the Gold Defense Power trait.
- The thorny devil is featured on several Monster Mania cards:
- It's trading card is used in the explanation for Battle of the Monsters Trading Card Game 4 on Monster Mania 8.
- The thorny devil is then featured in Where In The World? on Monster Mania 14.
- It is later featured in Holy Horns! on Monster Mania 55.