Thorny devils are around 8 inches long and can live up to 20 years. They also have camouflaging abilities in which their colors will be paler in warm weather and darker when it’s cold. These abilities are used more for blending in with their environment rather than hunting.

The thorns on the thorny devil are mainly modified scales that are no bigger than the thorns of a rose. These spikes are used to intimidate predators like birds and larger lizards such as goannas. If a predator happens upon the thorny devil, it’ll probably think twice about trying to swallow its thorny prey.

The thorny devil is a lizard that can be found in the dry deserts that make up most of central Australia. If not in the desert, they can be found in arid scrublands.

Thorny devils have a diet that consists solely of ants. In fact, they can eat thousands of ants a day! They have a simple sit-and-wait strategy where they just wait for the ants to pass by and then the thorny devil will capture them with its sticky tongue. Thorny devils also have grooves between their thorns that attract moisture and draws water to its mouth. They can obtain water from not only rare rainfalls, but also just by brushing against wet grass.

Female thorny devils lay a clutch of three to ten eggs during the last few months of the year. They’ll burry the eggs just under the ground, which will hatch after about four months. The babies will have to fend for themselves after hatching.

Other defense mechanisms used by the thorny devil is that it will make itself look bigger by filling its chest with air to make it look harder to swallow. One unique defensive measure the thorny devil uses is its “false head.” When threatened, the thorny devil will sometimes tuck its head between its front legs and a knobby mass on its neck will take its place. This can be especially useful if a pecking bird is attacking it.

If you watch a thorny devil, they have a unique walk. They’ll walk slowly, stop frequently, and rock back and forth with their tail held upright. They walk in this way to confuse predators as it’s not the usual sprint-from-danger tactic.