Thorny Devil

The Thorny Devil is a lizard from the reptile class. It is mostly found in the remote desert landscapes of the Australian Outback where the weather is dry and humid. The thorny devil has a couple of other names it is known by, namely the Mountain Devil and Thorny Dragon. Being a fairly small lizard (it grows to about 20cm in length), it can be quite vulnerable to predators in the desert. For that reason, the thorny devil is a palette of shades between orange and brown. 


I like the thorny devil for its ability to camouflage into its surrounding environment and be able to hide throughout the day and become darker during the night. Because of this, it can avoid predators.

(image source: http://www.wild-facts.com/2010/wild-fact-858-a-thorn-in-my-side-thorny-devil/)

As the name suggests, the lizard is ‘thorny’; in other words, its entire body is covered in spikes or thorns which adds to its defence mechanisms. These thorns make it hard to be eaten and if attempted it won’t be a tasty meal. It looks a bit like stalagmites growing out of a crocodile (only smaller) 

(DANIEL CHAND)