The Australian thorny devil drinks water through its skin using a complex capillary system.

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Despite its fearsome name and dragon-like appearance, the thorny devil is a placid desert dweller. Its most remarkable feature is not its spines, but its ability to harvest water from its environment. By simply touching damp sand or morning dew, this lizard channels moisture directly into its mouth through its skin.

Endemic to the arid regions of Australia, the thorny devil (Moloch horridus) is a unique lizard that serves as the sole species in its genus. First described by biologist John Edward Gray in 1841, the creature is covered in conical, uncalcified spines that provide a formidable defense against predators. To further evade threats, it employs a clever deception: a soft-tissue 'false head' on the back of its neck, which it presents by dipping its real head between its front legs.

The lizard’s survival in harsh desert environments is largely due to its specialized, hydrophilic skin. The surface is covered in hexagonal microstructures that, when exposed to trace amounts of moisture, become superhydrophilic. This allows water to spread across the body and be drawn into a network of semi-tubular channels located between its scales. Through passive capillary action, this moisture is transported across the lizard's entire body and delivered directly to its mouth for ingestion.

While the thorny devil is often compared to the North American horned lizard, this is a classic example of convergent evolution rather than close kinship. Beyond its unique physiology, the lizard is a specialized ant-eater, capable of consuming thousands of ants in a single day. Despite its rugged appearance, it is a relatively long-lived species, surviving for 15 to 20 years in the wild. Its history is also marked by curious human interactions, including a World War II-era scam where soldiers were sold 'thorny devil eggs'—which were actually just the thorny fruits of a weed known as 'double gee'.

The thorny devil’s habitat spans the scrublands and sand-rich interiors of central and Western Australia. Its behavior is as distinct as its anatomy, characterized by a slow, rocking gait and a color-changing ability that shifts from pale to dark depending on the ambient temperature. Whether through its complex water-harvesting physiology or its specialized diet, the thorny devil remains a master of adaptation in some of the world's most unforgiving landscapes.

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