Devilish thorns suck water from desert sand

The demon thorns use the skin as a straw, helping them survive in the arid desert of Australia.

In the study published in Experimental Biology on November 2, scientists at the University of Western Australia (UWA) pointed out that one of the main ways to drink water lizards is to bury the body in damp sand, after That sucks water out of the sand.

The spiny demonic lizard, Moloch horridus , is an animal that lives in arid deserts and sand plains in central and western Australia, according to ABC News.

Moroccan lizards adapt to arid conditions in the deserts of Australia.(Photo: Flickr).

Philip Withers, co-author of the study, said other skin is often a very important factor for the survival of thorny lizard in extreme weather conditions in the desert. "Their special skin system has evolved and is quite strange , " Withers said.

Capillary tubes on the skin of the thorny lizard skin help collect water from the moisture in the sand, then push it towards the mouth. Although scientists have known about this mechanism for a long time, they are not sure if the animal is capable of filling capillary tubes and drinking water by standing on moist sand.

For a better understanding, the team analyzed the amount of water that six demon thorns can drink in different situations. The results showed that all 6 animals opened and closed their mouths to drink water after only 10 seconds, as soon as they were placed in a puddle. But if you put them on wet sand, 59% of capillary tubes are full and lizards don't drink water.

"Thorny lizards can certainly suck and drink water when standing on a puddle. But they are unable to drink water if standing only on moist sand because they cannot fill capillaries. Therefore, they need to be buried. The body goes to the sand to maximize the contact area between the skin and the sand, as well as relying on gravity while drinking water , " Withers said.