Thorny devils (Moloch horridus) are native to Australia and are prohibited from being kept or exported out of the country.
Can I Keep a Thorny devil as a Pet?
Question: I used to have a horned lizard and it was an amazing pet. Now, I am interested in getting a thorny devil. I have plenty of ants in my yard, so feeding it would not be an issue.However, I cannot seem to find them for sale anywhere. Why is that? Do you know anyone who sells them?
Tim Allman, Maricopa, Ariz.
Answer: Unfortunately, thorny devils (Moloch horridus), also known as molochs, are not available for purchase anywhere on the planet due to two main reasons.Firstly, thay are native to Australia where they cannot be kept as pets by residents or exported out of the country. The Australian government strictly prohibits commercial sale of any wild-caught native wildlife.
Why Can’t You Keep Thorny Devils as Pets?
The second reason is their diet which consists solely of several species of Australian ants. While the ants in your yard may seem like a suitable food source, they are most likely not palatable to this lizard from a different part of the world. Thorny devils have evolved to be very selective when it comes to their diet and only prefer certain types of ants. These preferred ants are relatively small, requiring an adult thorny devil to consume one to two thousand per day.
Thus, if taken out of their natural habitat, thorny devils would most likely starve to death. no one wants these lizards to suffer such a fate which is why only a few zoos in Australia are able to successfully maintain them long-term.
Conclusion
while it may seem tempting to keep a unique and captivating creature like the thorny devil as a pet, it is important to respect their natural habitat and leave them be in the wild. Additionally, attempting to keep them as pets would ultimately result in their suffering and eventual death due to their specialized diet requirements.
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Fascinating creatures, thanks for sharing this information!