# Where art thou thorny devil?



## HerperBaz (Mar 28, 2012)

No I haven't mistaken this for a dating website (bad joke), I am quite curious as to whether Moloch horridus or the t/horny devil is able to be held as a pet on a certain license. I can imagine they would be quite hard to look after as they only have one or two food sources which are not very common and I'm certain they are endangered animals so I'm slowly starting to second guess the idea of being able to own one.

If anyone has anymore info feel free to comment


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## moosenoose (Mar 28, 2012)

By all accounts they are extremely difficult to keep, and hence rare in captivity. I thought there might be something like a supplement food source you could feed them, but I gather like most keepers the line of thought would be that the risk outweighs the potential of keeping one happy, healthy and ultimately alive...not to mention gambling with the cost of purchasing one in the first place. JMHO


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## mad_at_arms (Mar 28, 2012)

Yes it can.
Heaps of threads already dedicated to this.
Maybe search for them.


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## JUNGLE-JAK (Mar 28, 2012)

they it thousnads of native ants everyday


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## Tristan (Mar 28, 2012)

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/search/search-id/2529199


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## sarah_m (Mar 28, 2012)

I remember reading an article in one of the reptile mags a few years ago about some that were kept by a zoo or wildlife park in SA or WA. They had been poached and as the wildlife authority had no idea of the exact locality they came from they were given to the zoo instead of being released. 
The end result was that even with specialist care from the zoo and a huge effort to locate enough ants of a similar species to their natural diet, they didnt last more than about 18 months(?) in captivity away from their natural food source.


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## Snowman (Mar 28, 2012)

How is what I wrote any ruder than the title of this thread?

Oh you changed the title


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## HerperBaz (Mar 28, 2012)

Sarah I also read a similar article, I think these pair were kept in a zoo up in Northern Territory which also mentioned that there food source was to hard to locate in large enough amounts to feed daily. Also they drink in a very different way to other lizards.. they actually wait for the rain to hit their backs which trickles through the crevices down to the corner of their mouths.. very interesting stuff. 

I love how they are so different to our other natives, would be nice if they weren't so hard to keep. 

And snowman, The Moloch horridus is very similar to America's horny lizard.. wasn't trying to offend.


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## MathewB (Mar 28, 2012)

There was someone on here who was going to try it but I'm not sure who it was or how they were going.


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## BigWillieStyles (Mar 28, 2012)

The melbourne Museum has them with an ant nest built on one side of the devil enclosure and the ant food on the other side. The three enclosures are linked by a small tube that only the ants access. The ants are forced to move into the Devil enclosure as they move into the other food enclosure. Not all the ants are eaten and only the worker ants are eaten as they move through. You would need to have a healthy ant farm going first but it is entirely possible to get it to work. The biggest concern for the herp keeper would be the hefty price they go for in captivity.


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## GeckPhotographer (Mar 28, 2012)

> and I'm certain they are endangered animals


No they are pretty common and there's no suggestion that they are in major decline. It's the less developed version of 'hot' real estate on the sand dunes they call home...


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## HerperBaz (Mar 28, 2012)

Bigwillie - That's amazing they were able to do that.. 
I am picturing a desert pit in the backyard with a large ant hill, would be a real attraction for visitors.. 

I wonder what the price would be on these things?


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## Frozenmouse (Mar 29, 2012)

I think you need to start by obtaining a doctorate in ants and you might have a good shot at it. As stated it take 2-3 large well established ant colonies (of the correct species) to keep 1 devil.


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