The thorny devil is the Australian reptile that channels dew and rainwater across its skin to its mouth.
Its skin contains tiny grooves between overlapping scales. Capillary action moves water along these channels, allowing the lizard to collect moisture from dew, wet sand, and rainfall and direct it toward the mouth. This adaptation is especially valuable in the arid and semi-arid regions of central and western Australia where the species lives.
The thorny devil is covered with conical spines that make it difficult for predators to swallow. It can also change its body posture and appearance, and when threatened it may inflate its body. Its diet consists mainly of ants, often gathered in large numbers from trails.
The species is sometimes called the mountain devil, thorny lizard, or moloch. It is not venomous, despite its formidable appearance. Its scientific name is Moloch horridus, and the name Moloch was taken from an ancient Near Eastern deity reference used by early taxonomists.