Thorny Devil
Moloch horridus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyAgamidae (Dragons)
- GenusMoloch
- SpeciesMoloch horridus (Thorny Devil)
The thorny devil (Moloch horridus), also known commonly as the mountain devil, thorny lizard, thorny dragon, and moloch, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Australia. It is the sole species in the genus Moloch. It grows up to 21 cm (8.3 in) in total length (including tail), with females generally larger than males. Wikipedia →
30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Thorny Devil sighting in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, based on 33 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Long-nosed Water Dragon
Gowidon longirostris
Central Netted Ground-dragon
Ctenophorus nuchalis
Central Australian Earless Dragon
Tympanocryptis centralis
Military Dragon
Ctenophorus isolepis
Dwarf Bearded Dragon
Pogona minor
Grey-striped Western Desert Dragon
Diporiphora paraconvergens
Slater's Dragon
Ctenophorus slateri
Black-shouldered Ground-dragon
Ctenophorus clayi
📅 Monthly Probability
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Thorny Devil in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park?
About 38% of wildlife watchers report a Thorny Devil sighting in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, based on 33 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Thorny Devil in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Thorny Devil in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in our monthly data.