Book 16, Question 77
Why Does the Thorny Devil Have Spiky Skin and Drink with Its Feet?
The thorny devil has spiky skin to stay safe, and it drinks through its skin! Tiny grooves between its scales work like thin straws. They pull water toward its mouth.
More fun facts
- The thorny devil is a spiky Australian lizard up to almost eight inches long.
- Tiny grooves between its overlapping scales work like a network of drinking straws.
- Water moves through the grooves toward its mouth by capillary action.
- It can drink just by standing in a puddle or on wet sand, or by letting morning dew collect on its spines.
- Scientists are 95 percent confident that wet sand is one of its main water sources.
Sources: National Geographic, National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
How does a thorny devil drink with its feet?
Tiny grooves between its scales work like drinking straws, pulling water from a puddle or wet sand up toward its mouth.