One of the many miracles of nature is its propensity for endless variation.
Over the eons of evolution, creatures have shown an incredible capacity to conform to their environments, sometimes becoming so specialized that they only exist within the narrow confines of a particular habitat, perhaps eking out an existence atop a single mountain or living out their days on a secluded tropical island.
Here, one of the more unusual creatures endemic to Australia’s Outback: the thorny devil lizard, Moloch horridus. The lizard has a fearsome appearance despite being quite harmless.
Among its many desert specializations, one of the strangest is its ability to drink water through its skin, not by absorption but rather capillary action. If the thorny devil puts its foot in a puddle, a network of channels in the scales carries the water to its mouth like tiny straws.