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Project Noah Nature School
Moloch horridus
I think this might be a female, as it measured about 13cm from head to vent. Its cryptic colouration makes it blend in perfectly among the colours, and the lights and shades among the Spinifex grass of its desert environment.
Arid regions in western and central Australia, but only on sand plains and sandy ridges, being absent from rocky areas. This particular specimen was found basking on the road between Gascoyne Junction and Carnarvon.
This agamid is perfectly adapted to its desert environment: it feeds exclusively on ants, which are plentiful in the desert and it is able to absorb water through capillary action. Grooves run all over is spiny-scaled body, which work in the same way when dipping a paint brush in paint and the paint will travel upwards, soaking the bristles. The whole body of this lizard can absorb water and channel it to its mouth by this process. Therefore, it can make the most of the little water available in the harsh Australian desert
Spotted on Oct 14, 2011
Submitted on Oct 16, 2016
2 Comments
Thank you, armadeus.
They're such beautiful lizards. Love this series. Even though she's a bit bigger she's still so little. Again, great info. Thank you for sharing :)