Thorny Devil
by Grace Hansen
Abdo
AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS
Kids
Abdo Kids Jumbo is an Imprint of Abdo Kids
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Published by Abdo Kids, a division of ABDO, P.O. Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439.
Copyright © 2020 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Abdo Kids Jumbo™ is a trademark and logo of Abdo Kids.
Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota.
052019
092019
Photo Credits: Alamy, Animals Animals, Getty Images, iStock, Minden Pictures,
Shutterstock, ©Fritz Hiersche p.13/123RF.com
Production Contributors: Teddy Borth, Jennie Forsberg, Grace Hansen
Design Contributors: Dorothy Toth, Pakou Moua
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018963337
Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hansen, Grace, author.
Title: Thorny devil / by Grace Hansen.
Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota : Abdo Kids, 2020 | Series: Australian
animals | Includes online resources and index.
Identifiers: ISBN 9781532185472 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 9781532186455 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781532186943 (Read-to-me ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Lizards--Juvenile literature. | Reptiles--Australia--Juvenile
literature. | Animals--Australia--Juvenile literature.
Classification: DDC 597.955--dc23
Table of Contents
Thorny Devil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 More Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Food & Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Burrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Thorny Devil Babies . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Abdo Kids Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Thorny Devil
Thorny devils live in central
and western Australia.
They can be found in sandy
deserts and dry scrublands.
4
5
Thorny devils are lizards. And
like many Australian animals,
they are very unique. Thorny
devils are almost entirely
covered in pointy spines!
6
7
The pointy spines are for more
than just looking cool. They
help protect the lizard from
danger.
8
9
The thorny devil’s skin can
change colors. This helps it hide.
10
11
Food & Hunting
Thorny devils spend most of
their time looking for food. Their
favorite food is black ants! They
eat thousands of ants per day.
12
black ant
13
Their sticky tongues make
hunting and catching ants easy.
They have special teeth for
chewing the ants up.
14
15
Burrows
On very hot and cold days,
thorny devils dig burrows.
They find shelter inside and
do not move much. This helps
them survive.
16
17
Thorny Devil Babies
Females also dig burrows to lay
their eggs. They lay 3 to 10 eggs
at a time. After around 90 to
130 days, the eggs hatch.
18
19
Baby thorny devils are very small.
They eat their own egg shell for
strength. Then they climb out of
the burrow in search of ants.
20
21
More Facts
• Rain water collects between the lizard’s spines. The
water then moves toward its mouth. This his helpful
in an almost waterless desert.
• Thorny devils can puff themselves up to appear
bigger. This can stop predators from eating them
because it makes them harder to swallow.
• These lizards walk in a funny way. They walk slowly,
stop often, and rock back and forth. This may be
another way they confuse predators.
22
Glossary
female – an animal that produces eggs or gives birth to live young.
scrubland – land covered with scrub.
unique – being the only of its type.
23
Index
babies 20 habitat 4 teeth 14
burrow 16, 18, 20 protection 8, 10, 16 tongue 14
camouflage 10 size 20
eggs 18, 20 skin 10
food 12, 14, 20 spines 6, 8
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