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Topic: Thorny lizard

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Reptile

	Thorny lizard : search word
		The thorny lizard (''Moloch horridus'') is also known as the thorny devil, or the moloch.
		The thorny devil is only distantly related to the morphologically similar North American horned lizards (Phrynosoma).
		Uptake of water by the lizard, Moloch horridus.
	www.searchword.org /th/thorny-lizard.html (526 words)

	Thorny Devil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		The thorny devil (Moloch horridus) is also known as the thorny lizard, or the moloch.
		The thorny devil grows up to 20 cm in length, is coloured in camouflaging shades of desert browns and tans (colours changing from pale when warm, to darker colours when cold), and is entirely covered with conical spines (mostly uncalcified).
		The thorny devil is only distantly related to the morphologically similar North American horned lizards of the genus Phrynosoma, and is more an example of convergent evolution.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Moloch_lizard (300 words)

	Reptiles and Amphibians » Lizards » Thorny Devil Main Page
		Not at all aggressive, the Thorny Devil instead, defends itself by changing color to match its surroundings; hiding in small shrubs; tucking its head under its body and exposing the false head (a knob on its neck); freezing or moving in a shaking manner to resemble a leaf; and puffing itself up to appear larger.
		Thorny Devils can absorb water through their skin that may collect in shallow puddles after after a rain; but as rain is very rare, they get most of their water by collecting dew on the ridges of their body.
		The Thorny Devil is rarely kept in captivity and its numbers are decreasing due to predation by humans and animals.
	www.centralpets.com /animals/reptiles/lizards/lzd4440.html (562 words)

	Digimorph - Moloch horridus (thorny devil)
		Commonly known as thorny devils, the Australian agamid lizard Moloch horridus is protected from predation by numerous sharp spines on its head, body, legs and tail.
		When threatened, thorny devils tuck their head between their forelegs, leaving the prominent spiny "false head" on the back of their necks in the position of their real head, making them virtually impossible to swallow.
		Thorny devils possess more spines than horned lizards, and they are at least as sharp.
	www.digimorph.org /specimens/Moloch_horridus/whole (540 words)

	Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma spp.)
		Some species are widespread, such as the round-tailed and Texas horned lizards which occur in several U.S. and Mexican states, while the flat-tailed horned lizard (P. mcalli) is restricted to southwestern Arizona, extreme southeastern California, a small part of northeastern Baja California and the upper neck of northwestern Sonora, Mexico.
		Horned lizards are no exception to the general rule that lizards are not attracted to dead insects as food—the ants must be alive and moving for the lizard to show interest in them as prey.
		Initially, the lizard uses the scales on the front edge of its lower jaw to literally cut into the earth as it vibrates its head into the ground.
	www.desertmuseum.org /books/horned_lizard.html (776 words)

	Reptiles Magazine - reptilesmagazine.com /reptiles/breed_profiles.aspx
		Thorny devils are capable of rapid color change, an ability that depends on the reaction of pigmented cells in the dermis of the skin.
		Thorny devils are more likely to be found active on the surface in spring and fall, rather than midwinter (June and July in the Southern Hemisphere) and midsummer (January and February).
		Thorny devil fecal pellets are not randomly scattered across the landscape by the lizards, but are placed over several days in a latrine site, where 20 or more pellets may be found.
	www.reptilesmagazine.com /reptiles/Breed_Profiles.aspx?aid=18388&cid=3684&search= (3471 words)

	Lizard Classifications - Families (Site not responding. Last check: )
		These lizards are distinguished by a collar of large scales on the underside of their necks.
		The crocodile lizard is found in Asia, specifically China, and the strange lizard is found in North America, specifically central and southern Mexico.
		The crocodile lizard is semi-aquatic and eats fish and aquatic invertebrates, while the strange lizard is primarily insectivorous.
	animal-world.com /encyclo/reptiles/information/lizardclassfamilies.htm (1695 words)

	Australia Thorny Devil Lizard
		The thorny lizard is the alone species in its genus.
		As the thorny lizard is a small and slow moving creature, it is a prey animal, their predators are mostly Bustards, a bird that has the size of a chicken, and humans.
		During cold nights when the thorny devil lizard goes to sleep, they dig the soil and cover themselves with it to keep them warm.
	www.travel-australia.org /animals/thorny_devil_lizard.html (268 words)

	Moloch
		Thorny devils posses a curious knob-like spiny appendage on the backs of their necks, which has sometimes been likened to a false head.
		Thorny devils are active during a three-month autumnal period (March, April, and May) and during a five month activity period that spans late winter, spring and early summer (August through December), during which mating and egg deposition take place.
		Thorny devils are sedentary during summer and autumn, with an individual's movements generally being restricted to an area about 20-30 feet on a side.
	uts.cc.utexas.edu /~varanus/moloch.html (2907 words)

	Western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus)
		This small lizard is often mistaken for a young Gila monster due to the similarity of the pattern.
		The open-mouthed gape and vertical extension of the body and throat of collared lizards, which serve as a challenge from one male to another, appear quite different from the four-legged push-ups accompanied by the display of the brightly colored dewlap of tree lizards, though both serve the same purpose.
		Collared lizards are capable of running swiftly on their hind legs, the body held off the ground at a 45° angle, with tail and forelimbs raised.
	www.desertmuseum.org /books/nhsd_cloeonyx.html (4820 words)

	Thorny Devil - Moloch horridus
		The color changes on the Thorny Devil's body from yellow to reddish brown to fl, depending on which type of soil it is crossing.
		The Thorny Devil is one of the least aggressive reptiles.
		The Thorny Devil is a prey animal, because it's a small, slow moving creature.
	www.blueplanetbiomes.org /thorny_devil.htm (451 words)

	Horned Lizards Conservation Society
		Hypaxial morphology of sand lizards and horned lizards.
		Growth and population-structure of the short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma douglassi) and the sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) in southeastern Idaho.
		Physiological responses to temperature in horned lizards, P.cornutum and P.douglassi.
	www.hornedlizards.org /hornedlizards/sci_literature.html (3539 words)

	Komodo Dragon - Dragon Lizard Resource Page - Agamidae Family of Lizards
		The lizard burrows in sloping ground at the base of vegetation and may plug the burrow with soil during Winter periods of innactivity.
		A relatively large lizard growing to around 80cm (32in) it is generally grey-brown in colour with a row of spines, a fl stripe behind the eye and fl banding, males often have red colouration on the belly and chest.
		This lizard also has a vestigal third eye on the top of its head (parietal or pineal eye) that is sensitive to the angle of the sun's rays.
	www.komododragon.biz /AgamidaeFamilyOfLizards (1137 words)

	Thorny Devil or Moloch
		The fierce-looking thorny devil is actually a slow-moving and harmless reptile.
		In the hottest part of the day, the thorny devil digs a shallow burrow, often under a shrub for shade.
		When either rain or dew lands on the thorny devil's back, the water flows along thousands of grooves leading to the corners of its mouth so that it can drink.
	www.kidcyber.com.au /topics/thornydev.htm (217 words)

	Basic facts
		Lizards first appeared approximately 200 million years ago, evolving alongside the dinosaurs.
		The Australian thorny devil (lizard) only eats 1 species of ant and can eat as many as 2,500 ants at a time.
		Lizards such as water dragons, are great swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for up to 30 minutes.
	users.hunterlink.net.au /~sofar/id63.htm (803 words)

	© Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph - Thorney Devil - Moloch horridus
		The Thorny Devil comes in all shapes and sizes and there are some quite bizarre ones.
		Large numbers of ants are eaten per meal by an individual thorny devil (estimates range from 675 to 1000-1500 to 2500).
		Thorny Devils are found in two quite different habitats: spinifex-sandplain and sandridge deserts of the interior and the mallee belt of southern South Australia and southwestern Western Australia.
	www.drellenrudolph.com /featureanimals/thornydevil.html (651 words)

	BBC - Science & Nature - Animals - Children's Zone - Thorny devil
		When looks were handed out the thorny devil was definitely at the end of the queue.
		The thorny devil is possibly the most remarkable lizard of all.
		The thorny devil is banana-shaped, and holds its tail high above the sand.
	www.bbc.co.uk /nature/reallywild/amazing/thorny_devil.shtml (338 words)

	American Museum of Natural History
		One major area of his research concerns the antipredator defenses of these lizards, which are broadly distributed in the arid western United States and throughout Mexico.
		He also has shown that horned lizards respond in a very different manner to rattlesnakes than they do to whipsnakes, with rapid flight from the former and a standing-one's-ground presentation of a flattened back-shield to the latter.
		He also was the first to discover "rain harvesting"-an unusual drinking method in which horned lizards capture rainwater on their backs during storms and move the moisture to their mouths through narrow channels between their scales.
	www.amnh.org /science/bios/bio.php?scientist=sherbrooke (461 words)

	Thorny Devil - Search Results - MSN Encarta
		Thorny Devil - Search Results - MSN Encarta
		Thorny Devil, common name of a bizarre desert-dwelling Australian lizard.
		The Outback is a haven for lizards with more than 125 species of lizard found in arid areas.
	uk.encarta.msn.com /Thorny_Devil.html (121 words)

	TrekEarth \| Don't thread on me! Photo
		The thorny devil can actually change color, a bit like chameleons can, and they are very hard to spot when they are sitting still.
		The skin of the thorny devil is not sharp and yes, you could pick him up without any problems, unlike the stone fish, which you may encounter where there are rocky shores.
		When frilly necked lizards are threatened they stand up on their hind legs, stand their frill around their neck and make a run for it.
	www.trekearth.com /gallery/photo22276.htm (563 words)

	The Environmental Literacy Council - Thorny Devil
		The Thorny Devil, or Moloch horridus, appears to be a fearsome predator, but this fifteen centimeter long creature is a danger only to the ants which it eats in large quantities.
		Far from being dangerous to non-ants, the Thorny Devil is not agressive at all (see some evidence here) and is most notable for its defense mechanisms.
		In addition to its spiny appearance, it camouflages itself by changing color from yellow to reddish-brown to fl depending on the color of the surface it is on, and it has a large bump behind its head which appears as a false head when it tucks its real head between its front legs.
	www.enviroliteracy.org /subcategory.php/238.html (385 words)

	mekentosj.com \| Events - Labuitje 2005
		The single young is born in an immature state and is suckled in the mother's pouch for about six months.
		This thorny lizard is also known the moloch.
		It grows up to 16 cm in length, is coloured in camouflaging shades of desert browns and tans (colours changing from pale when warm, to darker colours when cold), and is entirely covered with conical spines (mostly uncalcified).
	www.mekentosj.com /events/labuitje05/index_3.html (447 words)

	Horned Lizards
		Horned lizards are often referred to as horny-toads due to their round toad like bodies.
		They are lizards, however, and are easily identified by the thorny projections at the rear of the head and fringe-like scales around the sides which give them a distinctly prehistoric look.
		Some horned lizards are difficult to distinguish from rocks (like this guy); thus they avoid detection by would-be predators.
	www.toddshikingguide.com /FloraFauna/Fauna13.htm (225 words)

	sloo abroad - images and information from our adventures in Australia
		I nearly ran the lizard over as we were cruising along the Lasseter Highway about 70km's from Ayers Rock on our way to Kings Canyon.
		On the way we passed one of the rarest Australian lizards sunning himself(or herself) in the road, the Thorny Devil.
		The best thing about this lizard is that its defence is to stand there and pretend to be a bit of bush, thus allowing budding photographers in for a close up snap.
	www.sloo.co.uk (1719 words)

	The Thorny Devil and Horned Lizard (Site not responding. Last check: )
		Found largely in the western United States and Mexico the well-camouflaged Regal Horned Lizard will seldom attempt to hide but may defend itself if provoked by puffing up its body and squirting blood, sometimes as far as a few feet, from a reserve behind its eyes.
		Below is the Moloch Horridus or "Thorny Devil." Because it is so well armored from head to tail it is seldom challenged by predators.
		In the harsh desert environment, the Thorny Devil collects water when dew forms on its skin and thousands of tiny grooves allow the dew to spread quickly over the lizard's body.
	www.genesispark.org /genpark/devil/devil.htm (177 words)

	[No title]
		The function of the frill is not known exactly but one explanation is that it raises the apparent size of its head,so making it look bigger and angrier to any enemy.
		Skinks form the largest of Australia's five lizard families,but most are small.
		The sleepy lizard or shingle back is a large distinctive skink,with coarse large scales and a stumpy tail,used as a fat store.
	members.tripod.com /~Cassper/lizard1.html (367 words)

	[No title]
		Desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) feeding on a harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex).
		Note the pointy shape of the tongue, this is atypical of lizards using the tongue to capture prey and actually resembles an iguanian tongue flick during chemoreceptive behavior.
		Catching prey using the jaws (jaw prehension) is the predominate mechanism used by scleroglossan lizards and is in contrast to the tongue prehension mechanism used by the iguanian lizards shown above.
	jan.ucc.nau.edu /~kiisa/lizardmovies.html (606 words)

	Reptiles Magazine - Guildelines
		Davey, H. "The moloch lizard, Moloch horridus, Gray." Victoria Naturalist.
		Sherbrooke, W. "Rain-harvesting in a horned lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum: behavior and integumental morphology." Journal of Herpetology.
		Withers, P. "Cutaneous water acquisition by the thorny devil (Moloch horridus: Agamidae)." Journal of Herpetology.
	www.animalnetwork.com /reptiles/detail.aspx?aid=17733&cid=3705&search= (268 words)

	National Geographic: Filming Tiger Sharks--Getting the Shot
		To illustrate the primordial splendor of the outback, producer Greg Marshall had planned to begin a scene with a shot of a local lizard species, the thorny devil, on a seaside ledge.
		The day they arrived, Greg told the crew to keep their eyes open for thorny devils—often found on nice hot roads—for use in the shot.
		Finally, some thorny devils were found, not on an outback road but in the home of a local farmer, who agreed to lend some lizards.
	www.nationalgeographic.com /tigersharks/gettingshot.html (417 words)

	Homework Help--Homework Help--Animals, Insects & Birds--Lizards (Site not responding. Last check: )
		An introduction to this lizard from Blue Planet Biomes, an educational site developed and created by Elisabeth Benders-Hyde, a science aide at the West Tisbury School in Massachusetts, and sixth grade teachers, Ann and Karl Nelson.
		An introduction to this large and unique Galapagos Islands lizard, from Dr. Robert H. Rothman at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
		An introduction to this lizard from the Central Florida Zoological Park.
	www.kcls.org /hh/lizards.cfm (2573 words)

	Painting of the Week week 3 17
		Mountain Devil Dreaming is referring to the Thorny Devil Lizard that is found throughout central Australia.
		The ‘thorny’ skin is used to protect the lizard from predators, and also enables it to blend in easily into the environment, making it a very elusive creature to catch.
		Many of the Petyarre family bear markings on their skin, similar to that found on the thorny lizard, and which medical science has no explanation for.
	www.jintaart.com.au /paintingweek/month9b.htm (1051 words)

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