{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "thorny-devil",
  "name": "Thorny Devil",
  "scientificName": "Moloch horridus",
  "category": "Reptile",
  "summary": "The thorny devil (Moloch horridus) is a tiny, spine-covered Australian desert lizard that drinks by channelling dew and rain along skin grooves to the corner of the mouth. It eats almost nothing but ants, weighs about 50 g, and is listed Least Concern across arid Western and Central Australia.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Reptilia",
    "order": "Squamata",
    "family": "Agamidae",
    "genus": "Moloch"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.05,
    "lengthM": 0.2,
    "topSpeedKmh": 3,
    "lifespanYears": 15
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Moloch horridus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Ants"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Spinifex desert and sandy scrub"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Around 15 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "About 0.05 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to roughly 3 km/h when moving at speed."
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Arid interior of Western and Central Australia.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceania"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/thorny-devil/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/thorny-devil/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}