# Wild Thorny Devils



## Simon_Archibald (May 23, 2006)

Hi all,
I recently moved to Darwin from Newcastle and on the drive up, while travelling at 130km/hr on the Barkley Highway, I spotted this little guy on the side of the road. I was over the moon to see one of these guys in the wild, moreso impressed I spotted him while travelling at that speed 

He was about 15km from the Barkley Homestead and I also spotted 2 others within about 25km of this Thorny.

Enjoy,
Simon Archibald


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## soulweaver (May 23, 2006)

thats cool  would love to see some of these guys in the wild 

thanks for the photos


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## FAY (May 23, 2006)

Hi Simon,
Nice to see you on this site again!!
What great pics.......what made you move to darwin???


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## Magpie (May 23, 2006)

Nice one Simon, they are the species i most want to see in the wild now.
I spotted this girl at 110kmh whilst driving at night  It's amazing what human eyes are capable of.


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## Hickson (May 23, 2006)

Simon,

On my way back from the Territory three years ago, I also sighted three in the vicinity of the Barkly homestead. I was surprised to find them over that way (I thought their range was more restricted - but I was wrong) and actually asked at the petrol Station - they said they were very common around there.

I'm at work right now, and don't have access to my records but I know they were all around that region.

Also found a few crossing the road on the Stuart Hwy between the Alice and Erldunda, and one on the Lassetter Hwy.

It's really a buzz when you see your first wild Moloch, isn't it?!!!!!!!



Hix


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## JasonL (May 23, 2006)

about fifteen years ago, driving back from darwin with my dad and older brother, I saw them and heaps of other critters from the car window, but they refused to stop the car, I still hate them for it!!!


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## Simon_Archibald (May 23, 2006)

Garth/Fay - hope you guys are well - moved up here chasing work and living with my good lady.

Craig - you're not wrong, human eyes are quite capable little things aren't they.

Hix - mate it was a huge buzz seeing the Molochs...I've also been fortunate enough to meet a young Olive Python in my backyard.

And there's plenty more herping to be done around the place.

Simon Archibald


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## Bigblackdog (May 23, 2006)

Thanks for the pics.
I've always wanted to see one of these critters face-to-face.
Only saw my 1st frilly the other week (one that wasn't on a 2c coin!)


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## Hickson (May 23, 2006)

> And there's plenty more herping to be done around the place.


Well, you're in the right place for monitors. I'm sure you're happy about that!



Hix


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## krusty (May 23, 2006)

great pics and weldone mate.


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## Possum (May 23, 2006)

*Thorny Devil*

Lucky Bugger! They are so cute.


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## jordo (May 23, 2006)

Well done, I was holidaying in Alice Springs years ago and looked out for them but didn't see any wild ones.


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## Retic (May 23, 2006)

Simon, good to see you back online. What bought about the change ? Newcastle to Darwin is a major move.


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## Simon_Archibald (May 23, 2006)

Ashley,
'Twas the girlfriend's idea and sounded like a fun little adventure so I ran with it. So far it's been great and to have all these animals around the place is awesome. We have a GTF that lives in our toilet who I nicknaked Luey...haha...he's very cool. Have to fish him out all the time though. Dragons running all over the place, possums, Olive Pythons...this is tbe place to be right now.

Simon Archibald


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## Ricko (May 23, 2006)

nice find mate. i saw a baby one when i was just outside alice last year and god what a rush. then we also came accross a perentie but sadly he had been hit. what about some more pics of these wild herps your encountering?


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## Simon_Archibald (May 23, 2006)

Ricko they're too bloody hard to photograph, or the batteries are dead when I am able to get a good shot...you know what it's like mate.. 

Simon Archibald


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## Jason (May 23, 2006)

simon congrats on the move. just curious can we keep thorny devils on liscence i know they eat ants and stuff but im just intereted what they would be classed under.


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## aussiesnakelover (May 23, 2006)

hey simon, where abouts in darwin you live? you must be out humpty doo way since you seeing all these herps, you get the dragons everywhere and skinks but the common tree's and olives would be more out that way, the GTS is a YTS up here lol


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## Fuscus (May 23, 2006)

Good to see you back simon - lots more photos please.


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## pugsly (May 23, 2006)

Wow great find! how the hell did you see that from the car at that speed what a fluke! 

Looks like ill be planing a trip to Darwin then hey!


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## kel (May 23, 2006)

how much are thorny devils to buy? they look awsome, i want one


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## aussiesnakelover (May 23, 2006)

cant keep them in hunter valley i dunt think, you can keep them in darwin NT but they dont do well here long term, there some of the species of black ant they eat up here ive been told a technique on how to get these black ants to, put a peice of termite mound with honey on it out for 2 hours n you should have heaps of them


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## kel (May 23, 2006)

> cant keep them in hunter valley i dunt think


 crap i think you may be right cant find them on my licence info anywhere, we may just have to move lol


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## Fuscus (May 23, 2006)

kel said:


> how much are thorny devils to buy? they look awsome, i want one


Very hard to get a license for, at least in SA. Feedings not hard though, place a rock with honey smeared on it near an ant nest, then an hour later place rock in enclosure. I've also heard of people "training" ants to enter the enclosures.
Oh - and if you can get a hold of the "Wild Australia" DVD there is a scene of them hatching, the babies are soooooo cute.


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## Simon_Archibald (May 23, 2006)

You can keep any reptile in NSW except marine reptiles and crocs. They are just harder to keep (so I've been told). Yes we can keep them in NT aswell but I don't know of anyone up here who keeps them privately...well a few people but don't have contact details.

I'm living in Coconut Grove, close to Nightcliff. We get heaps of wildlife out this way, it's great.

I'll continue to upload photos as I take them, that's if I can...photographic skills are poor at best.

Simon Archibald


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## Hickson (May 23, 2006)

Checked my records, found 4 Thorny Devils on the Barkly highway on Saturday 26/04/03, at 104km, 104.5km, 125km and 149.5km east of the ThreeWays. Didn't have a GPS then.

There's an article on breeding the Moloch at the Alice Springs Desert Park in the latest Reptiles Australia magazine.



Hix


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## Sean#1 (May 23, 2006)

there so nice


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## Simon_Archibald (May 23, 2006)

Thanks for that Hix...bought the copy of Reptiles Australia today...I found it interesting to read the approaches they took to collecting ants...

Simon Archibald


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## aussiesnakelover (May 23, 2006)

yeh ive heard that you get a fair bit in coconut grove, how are you liking darwin so far? such as heat n ppl etc


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## Simon_Archibald (May 23, 2006)

Heat I don't mind at all...the weather's been great so far...even the rain yesterday...they tell me the wet season is a bit different though ;-)

People have been great...fantastic, nice peope.

Simon Archibald


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## cwarren72 (May 23, 2006)

hey Simon here is one I seen on the side of the road when I went out to Alice Springs to live for a while


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## cwarren72 (May 23, 2006)

sorry about the pic size again guys and gals


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## Pricey (May 23, 2006)

There is a guy in SA who breeds Molochs and I think they sell for a few thousand.


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## Simon_Archibald (May 24, 2006)

cw72,
That's a cracker of a Thorny...great pics too...don't matter about the size, see great details.

Simon Archibald


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## Possum (May 24, 2006)

I think you ticked him off CW72, he is giving you the eye the little cutie! :lol: 

Are they spikey to touch or do they just look like it? They had one on display at the Sydney Reptile Expo a few years back but he wasn't allowed to be touched and he moves ever so slow like a little robot.


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## nickvelez (May 24, 2006)

I'm completely blown away with those thornies. they really are something else. fantastic pics. to see them in the hand and then they completely disappear on the ground....amazing. great finds. thanks for sharing


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## Guest (May 24, 2006)

wow  they are such spectacular animals... really great photos simon and cw72


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## Hickson (May 24, 2006)

Simon,

Make sure you visit the Mindil Beach Markets one night. Lots of people, but lots to look at too. And if you like Croc skulls...........



Hix


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## aussiesnakelover (May 24, 2006)

and u can get lots of nice food there hmmmmmmm yum lol


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## Simon_Archibald (May 24, 2006)

Hix,
Yeah mate I was there last Thursday night...sunset on the beach was great, although plenty of smoke from a bushfire to smother it a bit.
Saw plenty of trendy little trinkets but not all of it was necessarily cheap!!

Simon Archibald


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## Hickson (May 24, 2006)

Yeah, I didn't mean to suggest they were cheap, just lots of skulls for sale. I did notice that they seemed to be cheaper there than elsewhere.



Hix


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## Fuscus (May 24, 2006)

You must have started something Simon.
In todays PetLink http://www.petlink.com.au/Classifieds/sale/281454.html
PS read the last email address


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## Simon_Archibald (May 24, 2006)

Haha Fuscy...I might email that address for myself...just out of....umm....curiosity...yeah that's it..."curiosity" 

Simon Archibald


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## cwarren72 (May 24, 2006)

Possum they are just as sharp as they look. That is why I used my jumper lol. It is amazing how quick they disappear into the ground.


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## cwarren72 (May 24, 2006)

Hey fuscy could you do a quick resize mate? Cheers


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## Hickson (May 25, 2006)

cwarren72 said:


> Possum they are just as sharp as they look. That is why I used my jumper lol. It is amazing how quick they disappear into the ground.



Wuss! The ones I had to move off the road I just picked up, no problems. They're so light that the spikes don't hurt.

Then again, I also handle echidnas with my bare hands.



Hix


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## instarnett (May 25, 2006)

Nice pics Simon. Nice to hear from you.


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## Ricko (May 25, 2006)

yeah they were very gentle to touch. and not one ounce of aggression from them either. awesome little things


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## africancichlidau (May 25, 2006)

Nice pickup on that email addy Fuscy


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## stencorp69 (May 25, 2006)

Here's one devil I saw on the Great Central road a month ago (and a centralian bluey)


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## Simon_Archibald (May 25, 2006)

Stencopr,
That's a killer photo of the Thorny mate...top stuff...

Simon Archibald


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## AGAMIDAE (May 25, 2006)

thats cool simon hay what ya doing way up north for???


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## MoreliaMatt (May 28, 2006)

Here is a photo i took of a perentie near an outback dining site at the ayers rock resort when i worked there....







Matt


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## Moreliaman (May 28, 2006)

.................you can keep horridus !!!?? ..........i love australia !!!  
Amazing, thanks for the pics, ive only ever seen Phrynosoma.....so to see these guys in the wild will be fantastic ! cant wait!!


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## Simon_Archibald (May 28, 2006)

T X-III,
That goanna looks to me like a Varanus gouldii or Varanus panoptes...I'm not sure of the distribution of panoptes but it's not a Perentie.

Simon Archibald


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## MoreliaMatt (May 29, 2006)

Simon_Archibald said:


> T X-III,
> That goanna looks to me like a Varanus gouldii or Varanus panoptes...I'm not sure of the distribution of panoptes but it's not a Perentie.
> 
> Simon Archibald



ahh ok. thanks for the clarification, i was told it was a perentie by someone up there, must have just been a guess! 
apart from a few goannas the same as that all i saw were plenty of thorny devils, 1 snake, a few scorpions, dingos and a wild camel!
i lived and worked there for 4 months back in 2004.

funny story about a thorny actually... i used to drive a truck around up there and i was belting down a dirt road in the truck at about 60km/h (that was quite fast for the truck on a dirt road) and i spotted a thorny in the middle of te road! there was no way i wanted to hit it! and no hope of stopping in time so i swerved! quite dangerous! had this big truck up on 2 wheels and managed to miss the little diddums! stopped and ran back to make sure he was ok and he was! 

in real life they are actually softer than what you would imagine! i guess the thorns are more to look threatening than actual protection.

i was told that they are quite dumb and if you dont put them back facing in the direction you found them in they will get lost and die because they wont find their way home..... is this correct? can somone verify this for me?

cheers!

Matt


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## Hickson (May 31, 2006)

Simon_Archibald said:


> T X-III,
> That goanna looks to me like a Varanus gouldii or Varanus panoptes...I'm not sure of the distribution of panoptes but it's not a Perentie.
> 
> Simon Archibald



I agree - _spenceri_ perhaps?



Hix


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## Lucas (May 31, 2006)

I think you'll find they don't have a "Home" to speak of. They roam about eating black ant colonies and I guess making the best out of what ever shelter they can find. As for then dying if not getting home...........I think someone was having a joke :wink:


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## SLACkra (May 31, 2006)

is there much information availiable on their reproduction and breeding? behavior what happens with the young what size they are when they come out of the egg ect?

truely amazing lizards. pitty you would almost need your own black ant colony to keep one...

andrew


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## ad (May 31, 2006)

slackra - get the latest edition of Reptiles Aust. mag.
Great article on them in there
Cheers
Ad


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## Retic (May 31, 2006)

We can keep them but it is very very hard unless you have a steady supply of the right ants.



Moreliaman said:


> .................you can keep horridus !!!?? ..........i love australia !!!
> Amazing, thanks for the pics, ive only ever seen Phrynosoma.....so to see these guys in the wild will be fantastic ! cant wait!!


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## Reptilegirl (May 31, 2006)

i thought we werent able to keep em... they're not on the NSW species list.... any ideas of number in captivity? any idea what kinda price? how many thousands of $?
Megz


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## MoreliaMatt (May 31, 2006)

Reptilegirl said:


> i thought we werent able to keep em... they're not on the NSW species list....



just checked the SA list too and they arent on there either.....


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## Pike01 (May 31, 2006)

Heres another from the barkly


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## nathanbrisvegas (May 31, 2006)

awesome pics all gotta love the horridus 

as for the monitor my bet is a panoptes or gouldi as simon said , but still a very coool picture 

simon , have u seen any monitors since uve been up ? 

thanks 
nathan


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## SLACkra (Jun 1, 2006)

> slackra - get the latest edition of Reptiles Aust. mag.
> Great article on them in there



thanks mate


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## Lucas (Jun 1, 2006)

> any idea what kinda price? how many thousands of $?




Roughly $4000 ea


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## shazam (Jun 2, 2006)

Nice photos,would love to see some wild Thorny devils...


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## Simon_Archibald (Jun 3, 2006)

Great photo pike...stunner.

Simon Archibald


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