Unidan, AKA Ben Eisenkop, is an ecosystem ecologist who first rose to fame (infamy?) on Reddit by popping up in posts across the site, answering any queries and concepts pertaining to biology and ecology. Eisenkop is a columnist for Upvoted, spotlighting a new creature every week.

Since winter just decided to rear its head in my neck of the woods, dusting snow across my yard, what more appropriate animal to discuss on Bizarre Beasts than one that lives in the scorching desert?

The moloch (Moloch horridus) is a cute little lizard that lives in Australia, the only species in its entire genus (Moloch). You might be asking yourself, “Self, where does the name ‘Moloch’ come from?” I then overhear your monologue and butt in to inform you that “Moloch” refers to a horrifying, all-consuming ancient demon to which people used to sacrifice their children to. Yeah. Let’s just say this little lizard’s appearance didn’t do it any favors with the locals.

Another name for the moloch is “thorny devil,” and that one’s a lot easier to decipher. It has little dragon horns and spikes covering its entire body! The presumed reputation that comes with the name is a little much, though, as the Moloch is a very non-aggressive, harmless reptile.

Most of their crazy armor is for defense, avoiding birds and other predators that might attempt to swallow it! The only thing molochs are not harmless to are the black ants that comprise 100 percent of their diet. Within a single day, it’s possible for a thorny devil to consume several thousand ants, making them incredibly efficient predators.

Should a predator not be dissuaded by the multitude of thorns on our little reptile friend, they have one last line of defense: On their neck is a bulbous mass of flesh which almost resembles a second head, namely because that’s what it’s supposed to resemble. When threatened, the moloch will dip its real head and waggle the fake one, hoping that the initial predator strike will injure the fake noggin rather than its actual one, giving it enough time to make a hasty escape following its gambit.

A last piece of bizarreness, the moloch doesn’t waste its time bending down to sip water. Since water is so scarce in the desert, it has evolved fine grooves all over its skin which collect dew that forms on the lizard’s body and channels it into the animal’s mouth! The capillary action can occur nearly anywhere on the lizard’s body, so even if the moloch steps in water, it will be sucked up onto the reptile’s body and eventually reach its mouth. You can watch this exact situation happen in this video courtesy of the BBC here (starting around 3:52):