The Thorny Devil is alive and well and living in Australia. It is an Australian native animal and may also be found in zoos around the world. It is one of the most unusual looking animals of the Australian desert. It is well adapted to its life in the harsh desert conditions.
Appearance
Despite its dangerous appearance and its name it is also one of the least aggressive reptiles. It relies on camouflage and on its ingenious way of self-defence.Thorny devils only grow to about 20 cm in size (including the tail). They are small and slow moving and therefore very hard to spot.
Habitat
The natural habitats of the Thorny devil are the dry inland regions of Outback Australia and the South Western coast. Its distribution seems to be determined more by soil type (it likes sand and sandy loam) than by climate or anything else. They are very hard to find because they are skilled at hiding and like to live in remote areas well away from human habitats. Thorny lizards are heliotherm, meaning they need sunlight to warm themselves up.
Food
Its body is actually covered in small groves which lead to its mouth. In this way it aquires water easily even when there is little rainfall. It can also absorb dew drops through its skin.
It eats ants! Very few animals actually like to ants but the Thorny Devil eats nothing else. It eats one variety of ant only the
Iridomyrmex flavipes (a small black ant) but if they are scarce, may eat one or two other varieties. It simply sits at the ant trail and waits for them to pass, quickly scooping them into its mouth, one by one.
Preditors
Well, the fact is that despite its looks and its spines the Thorny often falls prey to other animals (mainly bustards and goannas). Goannas also find and dig up the eggs of the thorny devils. Feral cats will also take Thorny Devils. No small Australian animal is safe from Feral cats. It has a false head and can drop its tail which helps in the fight against preditors.
Is it extinct or endangered?
The worst threat the thorny devil faces is not from other animals, it's from humans and is the usual problem...
Habitat destruction!
Although not yet listed on the endangered species list, numbers are dwindling due to humans destroying its habitat areas.
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