While I wouldn’t like to cuddle up to this guy, he is quite friendly.
The Thorny Devil spends each morning standing in the sun, collecting heat.
The best places to find the sun are on top of rocks or in the middle of roads. The Thorny Devil is a plucky little fellow and challenges any intruders.
When on top of a rock, standing up and looking danger in the eye, those spikes deter many passing hawks.
On the road, the same attitude is not much use against marauding Toyotas!
But they are so cute!
Filed under: nature Tagged: | cute, desert, hawks, thorny desert, toyota
he IS cute! my daughters would go gah-gah over a reptile like that!
They are a little prickly but they sit so still if you are gentle with them
Which one is the thorny devil?
Not telling
Wow – he’s beautiful!
He is. although some of those prickles are sharp
I had no idea their colours were so VIVID!
Welcome to the archive, Caitlin. Those colours vary with the surface they are on. Slowly, not like a chameleon but they do seem to change.
We’re just about to start illustrating a book on reptiles and our Thorny Devil friend will definitely feature – apparently their spines are arranged in such a way as to maximise water droplets running toward their mouths? How cool is that??!
Great photos, too!
I remember reading that fact a long time ago. Thanks for the kind words
he’s gorgeous archie. and truce, that water droplet thing is very cool too.
He is certainly one of my favourites in the desert
Prickley little critturs, aren’t they?
Yep – although, if you hold them gently, the prickles sort of squish inwards a little
Oh he is just the cutest thing
Cute is the right word. They just sit there in your hand when you hold them
Saw this today and thought of you…
armadillo girdled lizard
What a wonderful little beast