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Moloch
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Lacertilia (=Sauria) (lizards)
- Family: Agamidae (agamid lizards)
- Genus: Moloch
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Also known as:
"thorny devil" |
Scientific Name: Moloch horridus
Gray, 1841 |
Habitat: Sandy and
other arid regions. |
Moloch=false god/idol in Biblical times to
which children were sacrificed; horridus="dreadful"
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Length: A little less than 1
foot total. |
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Food: Exclusively
ants. |
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I'm certain I passed the first one or two molochs
I came across as I was driving through Northern Territory.
When I was traveling at "normal person" (non-reptile
hunter) highway speeds, these lizards with their bizarre, thorny
shape and cryptic coloration, appeared like dried weeds on the
road. I finally decided to stop and investigate one of these
"weeds" after seeing a couple of the exact same size and
shape. I'm glad I stopped, because I was able to take
pictures and video of a beautiful moloch. I wasn't expecting
to find any of these lizards, after hearing how rare they
were. I ended up finding several, both alive and dead. |
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This moloch, when confronted,
tucked its head down and kept its tail held high (which it also
did while in motion). Perhaps this is to lure potential
predators away from the head. When this lizard decided to
start moving again, it moved with a peculiar gait--if you've seen
an Old World chameleon climbing a branch with a swaying motion,
you'll know what I'm talking about. The moloch would seem to
hesitate with every step, its body moving forward and back atop
its firmly-planted legs. |
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I'm glad this moloch decided to
clear the road, because as the second picture shows, most people
don't even notice the lizards and zip right along as fast as
they'd like--there's no speed limit in Northern Territory. |
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The second moloch for which I
stopped was simultaneously noticed by a tour van. The tour
operator picked up the moloch for a photo opportunity, so I asked
if I could get a shot of myself holding it as well. The
resulting picture is the final one shown here. I wouldn't
have touched the lizard had a licensed tour operator not been
supervising, as it is illegal to do so without a permit. |
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I wish I would've gotten a glimpse of these lizards'
bellies--each moloch has a pattern of dark spots that is unique to
that individual and provides a means of identifying particular
specimens in a group. These molochs were bright yellow with
brown markings. The captive specimens I saw at the Alice
Springs Reptile Centre ranged from yellow to gray. |
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