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What the sources say

Thorny DevilMoloch horridus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Thorny Devil profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 57 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Moloch horridus (thorny devil). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysa spiny false head decoy
The source saysa prominent spiny "false head" on the top of their skull
The page saysbig spines with no bone inside them
The source saysTheir large spines are entirely boneless, only two parietal spines are supported by modest bony bosses on the skull.
The page saysOnly ants, mainly Iridomyrmex and Crematogaster, caught by waiting near cover for them to pass along their trails
The source saysthey eat only ants. They primarily eat ants of the genera Iridomyrmex (especially Iridiomyrmex rufoniger) and Crematogaster ... finding a feeding site near cover and waiting for their ant prey to pass. Iridomyrmex species are eaten as they pass in terrestrial trails and Crematogaster species are eaten mainly from their trails
The page saysGrooves between its scales collect water and carry it by capillary action, even against gravity, to the corners of its mouth.
The source saysThe base of each spine is surrounded by a deep interscalar groove that effectively collects water and these grooves interconnect to enable capillary movement of water along the body, even against the pull of gravity, as on the legs. These grooves continue onto the head and empty into the angle of the mouth for drinking.
The page saysFemales are larger than males, averaging 45.5 grams and reaching as much as 88.7 grams, while males average 31.2 grams
The source saysFemales are larger than males, averaging 45.5 g (range 33 to 88.7 g) ... Males average 31.2 g
The page saysA thorny devil eats only ants, mainly two groups, Iridomyrmex and Crematogaster
The source saysthey eat only ants. They primarily eat ants of the genera Iridomyrmex (especially Iridiomyrmex rufoniger) and Crematogaster.
The page saysA Sit-and-Wait Ant Eater
The source saysthey eat only ants ... They are "sit-and-wait" predators
The page saysWater that climbs its legs
The source sayscapillary movement of water along the body, even against the pull of gravity, as on the legs
The page saysThe grooves around its spines link up, letting water move along its body by capillary action, even against gravity as on the legs
The source saysThe base of each spine is surrounded by a deep interscalar groove that effectively collects water and these grooves interconnect to enable capillary movement of water along the body, even against the pull of gravity, as on the legs.
The page saysThey continue onto the head and empty into the corners of its mouth for drinking
The source saysThese grooves continue onto the head and empty into the angle of the mouth for drinking.
The page saysA Fake Head and Boneless Spikes
The source saysThorny devils have numerous thorny spines along their bodies, including a prominent spiny "false head"Note: 'Boneless' is claimed separately against ADW: 'Their large spines are entirely boneless'
The page saysGolden and brown patches camouflage a thorny devil so well that it can escape detection even at close quarters
The source saysmarked with golden and brown patches that serve to camouflage them in their arid habitats. They are extremely difficult to find because of their camouflage and escape detection even at close quarters
The page saysIts large spines are entirely boneless; only two, on the skull, sit on small bony bumps
The source saysTheir large spines are entirely boneless, only two parietal spines are supported by modest bony bosses on the skull.
The page saysa predator such as a goanna, an Australian bustard or a black-breasted buzzard
The source saysThorny devils are preyed on by Australian bustards (Ardeotis australis), humans (Homo sapiens), black-breasted buzzards (Hamirostra melanosternon) and goannas (Varanus)
The page saysthe thorny devil tucks its real head down between its front legs and presents a spiny false head
The source saysWhen threatened by a predator they tuck their head between their forelegs and present the "false head," making it difficult for anything to swallow them.
The page saysmaking it difficult for anything to swallow it
The source saysWhen threatened by a predator they tuck their head between their forelegs and present the "false head," making it difficult for anything to swallow them.
The page saysWhen threatened, it can also puff itself up with air, making it harder to handle
The source saysThey will also puff themselves up with air when threatened, making themselves more difficult to handle.
The page saysA thorny devil has a prominent, spiny false head
The source saysa prominent spiny "false head" on the top of their skull
The page saysthe thorny devil tucks its real head down between its forelegs and presents this false head instead, making it difficult for the attacker to swallow it.
The source saysWhen threatened by a predator they tuck their head between their forelegs and present the "false head," making it difficult for anything to swallow them.
The page saysa predator such as an Australian bustard, a black-breasted buzzard or a goanna
The source saysThorny devils are preyed on by Australian bustards (Ardeotis australis), humans (Homo sapiens), black-breasted buzzards (Hamirostra melanosternon) and goannas (Varanus)

Source
02

Bush Heritage Australia

Thorny Devils. Bush Heritage Australia.

The page saysDry sand country, spinifex grasslands and scrub across large parts of Western Australia, the southern Northern Territory, South Australia and western Queensland
The source saysTheir range covers most of arid Australia – large parts of Western Australia, the southern half of the Northern Territory, South Australia and western Queensland. They live in dry sand country, spinifex grasslands and scrub.
The page saysone can eat a thousand in a day
The source saysin one day an individual can eat a thousand ants
The page saysa small, thorn-covered lizard of the Australian deserts
The source saysis a small desert lizard found across arid and semi-arid Australia ... Being covered in thorny spines
The page saysgrowing up to about 20 centimetres long
The source saysGrowing up to 20 cm long
The page saysIn the wild it can live up to 20 years
The source saysLifespan: Up to 20 years ... they can live up to 20 years old in the wild
The page saysIt ranges across large parts of Western Australia, the southern Northern Territory, South Australia and western Queensland, in sand country, spinifex grasslands and mulga scrub
The source saysTheir range covers most of arid Australia – large parts of Western Australia, the southern half of the Northern Territory, South Australia and western Queensland. They live in dry sand country, spinifex grasslands and scrub.Note: 'mulga scrub' from ADW's habitat description, a second source for the same habitat type: 'acacia scrub ("mulga")'
The page saysIt finds a feeding site that has cover and waits for ants to pass along their trails, lapping them up with its short, sticky tongue
The source saysIn the morning and late afternoon they'll find a feeding site that has cover and wait for ant prey to pass in trails that they can lap up with their short, sticky tongues.
The page saysit can change colour to blend into its surroundings
The source saysDevils can change colour to blend into their surrounds
The page saysIts slow, rocking walk might confuse predators that spot it in the open
The source saystail lifted, they walk along with slow, jerky movements backwards and forwards. This might be a defense mechanism to confuse predators when they're spotted in the open.Note: 'rocking' gait also in ADW: 'walk with a characteristic slow, rocking gait'
The page sayson the back of its neck
The source sayshead on the back of its neckNote: Bush Heritage places the false head 'on the back of its neck'; ADW says 'on the top of their skull'
The page saysThorny devils eat only ants
The source saysThorny Devils only eat ants.
The page saysOne finds a feeding site that has cover and waits for ants to pass along their trails, lapping them up with its short, sticky tongue
The source saysIn the morning and late afternoon they'll find a feeding site that has cover and wait for ant prey to pass in trails that they can lap up with their short, sticky tongues.
The page saysAnts are relatively low in nutritional value, but a thorny devil has a large stomach, and in one day an individual can eat a thousand.
The source saysAnts are relatively low in nutritional value, but devils have large stomachs and in one day an individual can eat a thousand ants!

Source
03

Comanns et al. 2017

Comanns et al. (2017). Adsorption and movement of water by skin of the Australian thorny devil (Agamidae: Moloch horridus). Royal Society Open Science.

The page saysSkin That Carries Water
The source saysenables them to collect water by capillarity and passively transport it to the mouth for ingestion
The page saysA droplet set on the skin of a live thorny devil spread evenly outward over more than 9.2 millimetres within about ten seconds, moving through roughly 1,600 channels
The source saysSkin water transport of thorny devils was symmetric ... the applied 7 µl water droplets were transported radially over more than 9.2 mm within about 10 s. This transport takes place within about 1600 channels of the hexagonal capillary networkNote: 'evenly outward' renders 'symmetric' and 'transported radially' (abstract: 'there was no directionality in cutaneous water transport (unlike Phrynosoma)'); 'live' from the abstract: 'We characterized this capillary water transport for live thorny devils using high-speed video analyses'
The page saysThe channels are built in levels: a wide main channel between the scales, divided by protrusions into smaller channels that stretch the water's travel distance by about 39 percent
The source sayswe found that the channels are hierarchically structured as a large channel between the scales that is sub-divided by protrusions into smaller sub-capillaries ... the sub-capillary structure extends the transport distance by about 39%Note: 'built in levels' for 'hierarchically structured'; 'smaller channels' for 'sub-capillaries'
The page saysA network of channels between its overlapping scales carries water by capillary action across a thorny devil's skin to its mouth
The source saysTheir microstructured skin surface, with channels in between overlapping scales, enables them to collect water by capillarity and passively transport it to the mouth for ingestion.
The page saysA droplet set on the skin of a live thorny devil spread evenly outward over more than 9.2 millimetres within about ten seconds, moving through roughly 1,600 of those channels
The source saysSkin water transport of thorny devils was symmetric ... the applied 7 µl water droplets were transported radially over more than 9.2 mm within about 10 s. This transport takes place within about 1600 channels of the hexagonal capillary networkNote: 'evenly outward' renders 'symmetric' and 'transported radially' (abstract: 'there was no directionality in cutaneous water transport (unlike Phrynosoma)'); 'live' from the abstract: 'We characterized this capillary water transport for live thorny devils using high-speed video analyses'
The page saysThe channels are built in levels: a wide main channel between the scales, divided by protrusions into smaller channels that stretch the water's travel distance by about 39 percent.
The source sayswe found that the channels are hierarchically structured as a large channel between the scales that is sub-divided by protrusions into smaller sub-capillaries ... the sub-capillary structure extends the transport distance by about 39%Note: 'built in levels' for 'hierarchically structured'; 'smaller channels' for 'sub-capillaries'
The page saysmoving water along passively, with no effort from the lizard
The source saysenables them to collect water by capillarity and passively transport it to the mouth for ingestionNote: 'with no effort from the lizard' glosses 'passively'

Source
04

Comanns et al. 2011

Comanns et al. (2011). Moisture harvesting and water transport through specialized micro-structures on the integument of lizards. Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology.

The page saysIts scales carry a honeycomb-like micro-texture that lets it collect moisture over its entire body surface, and a complex system of capillary channels runs between them
The source saysAll three lizards have a honeycomb like micro ornamentation on the outer surface of the scales and a complex capillary system in between the scales ... the condensation of air humidity is improved on this surface by about 100% in comparison to unstructured surfaces. This allows the animals to collect moisture with their entire body surface.Note: the three lizards studied include the thorny devil

Source
05

Comanns et al. 2016

Comanns et al. (2016). Cutaneous water collection by a moisture-harvesting lizard, the thorny devil (Moloch horridus). Journal of Experimental Biology.

The page saysCapillary skin channels that pull water from a puddle to its mouth
The source sayswith capillary channels in between imbricate overlapping scales, enable the lizard to collect water by capillarity and transport it to the mouth for ingestion ... Thorny devils standing in water can fill their capillary system and then drink from this water
The page saysFilling that whole system takes a volume of water equal to about 3.19 percent of the lizard's body mass
The source saysThe water volume required to fill the skin capillary system is 3.19% of body mass.
The page saysstanding in water it can then drink from that skin-held water at roughly 0.7 microlitres per jaw movement
The source saysThorny devils standing in water can fill their capillary system and then drink from this water, at approximately 0.7 µl per jaw movement.
The page saysCondensation from warm, moist air onto a cool thorny devil provided water equal to about 0.22 percent of its body weight, which was not enough for drinking
The source saysCondensation facilitated by thermal disequilibrium between a cool thorny devil and warm moist air provided skin capillary filling to approximately 0.22% of body weight, which was insufficient for drinking.
The page saysstanding on nearly saturated moist sand could only fill the channels to 59 percent of capacity, with no drinking recorded
The source saysThorny devils standing on nearly saturated moist sand could only fill the capillary channels to 59% of their capacity, and did not drink.
The page saysThe researchers suggest that rain and moist sand seem to be its likely regular water sources
The source saysOur results suggest that rain and moist sand seem to be ecologically likely water sources for M. horridus on a regular basis.
The page saysFilling the capillary system across its skin takes a volume of water equal to about 3.19 percent of its body mass
The source saysThe water volume required to fill the skin capillary system is 3.19% of body mass.
The page saysstanding in water it can then drink from that skin-held water at roughly 0.7 microlitres per jaw movement.
The source saysThorny devils standing in water can fill their capillary system and then drink from this water, at approximately 0.7 µl per jaw movement.
The page saysCondensation from warm, moist air onto a cool thorny devil provided water equal to about 0.22 percent of its body weight, which was not enough for drinking.
The source saysCondensation facilitated by thermal disequilibrium between a cool thorny devil and warm moist air provided skin capillary filling to approximately 0.22% of body weight, which was insufficient for drinking.
The page saysStanding on nearly saturated moist sand filled the channels to only 59 percent of their capacity, and the lizards did not drink
The source saysThorny devils standing on nearly saturated moist sand could only fill the capillary channels to 59% of their capacity, and did not drink.
The page saysThe researchers suggest that rain and moist sand seem to be its likely regular water sources.
The source saysOur results suggest that rain and moist sand seem to be ecologically likely water sources for M. horridus on a regular basis.

Source
06

Meyers & Herrel 2005

Meyers & Herrel (2005). Prey capture kinematics of ant-eating lizards. Journal of Experimental Biology.

The page saysIn a 2005 study its prey capture stood out, with no body lunge, a faster tongue, less handling of each ant and control over the slow opening of its jaws
The source saysPrey capture was strikingly different in M. horridus to that of other species, being characterized by a suite of unusual behaviors including the lack of a body lunge, faster tongue protrusion, reduced prey processing and, most notably, the ability to modulate the slow open phase of the gape cycle.Note: 'less handling of each ant' paraphrases 'reduced prey processing' (its prey is ants); 2005 is the paper's year (Meyers & Herrel 2005)
The page saysTogether these made a single feeding event faster than in any other iguanian lizard, its own lizard group, studied to that date
The source saysIn concert, these traits make a single feeding event in M. horridus faster than that in any other iguanian lizard studied to date.Note: 'to that date' dates the record to the 2005 paper
The page sayseats ants without a body lunge
The source saysPrey capture was strikingly different in M. horridus to that of other species, being characterized by a suite of unusual behaviors including the lack of a body lungeNote: vibe.reason, settled in #224: the study filmed lizards 'feeding on ants' (abstract); replaces 'desert' and 'outback', place words the pairing rule forbids
The page sayseach feeding event faster than in any other iguanian lizard studied by 2005
The source saysIn concert, these traits make a single feeding event in M. horridus faster than that in any other iguanian lizard studied to date.Note: vibe.reason, settled in #224: 'by 2005' dates 'to date' to the paper's year, as the body's claim does; the relentless motorik pulse

Source
07

Doughty et al. 2017

Doughty et al. (2017). Moloch horridus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T83492011A83492039.

The page saysLeast Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.