by Thorny devils have a plethora of defenses against predators, including a fake head and a weird jerky walk.
Name: Thorny devil (Moloch horridus)
Where it lives: Australia
What it eats: Ants
Why it's awesome: Thorny devils are native to Australia and live in the country's arid scrubland and interior desert.
These small lizards grow to 8 inches (20 centimeters) long and have evolved an impressive set of defenses, including an appendage on the back of the necks that acts as a "'false head."
When threatened, the lizards tuck their real head down between their front legs, leaving the fake head exposed while protecting the real head.
These lizards' defenses don't stop there.
Their bodies are covered in spikes, which are the size of rose thorns and are thought to deter predators by making the lizards difficult to capture, bite and swallow.
Source
Name: Thorny devil (Moloch horridus)
Where it lives: Australia
What it eats: Ants
Why it's awesome: Thorny devils are native to Australia and live in the country's arid scrubland and interior desert.
These small lizards grow to 8 inches (20 centimeters) long and have evolved an impressive set of defenses, including an appendage on the back of the necks that acts as a "'false head."
When threatened, the lizards tuck their real head down between their front legs, leaving the fake head exposed while protecting the real head.
These lizards' defenses don't stop there.
Their bodies are covered in spikes, which are the size of rose thorns and are thought to deter predators by making the lizards difficult to capture, bite and swallow.
Source
