in the dry desert following nighttime's extremely low temperatures and the subsequent condensation of dew. The process involves moisture contact, their hydrophilic skin surface structures with capillaries, and an internal transport mechanism. The lizard rubs its body against the moist substrate and shovels damp sand onto its back, the outer epidermis layer equipped to draw in cutaneous moisture. The keratinous fibered epidermis is hydrophilic with hexagonal microstructures on the scale surfaces. When trace amounts of water contact its skin (pre-wetting) these microstructures fill with water, the skin surface becoming superhydrophilic. This allows moisture to spread across wider surface areas, yielding faster uptake, as water is collected via capillary action in small channels located between its scales. Captured water is transported passively via capillary action in semi-tubular channels located beneath the partially overlapping scales, in an asymmetric and interconnected system that extends over the lizard's entire body surface. The channels terminate at the mouth where active ingestion (drinking) is observable by jaw movements when moisture is plentiful, e.g. water puddles. The same hydrophilic moisture-harvesting physiology is characteristic in the Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum), roundtail horned lizard (Phrynosoma modestum), desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos), Arabian toad-headed agama (Phrynocephalus arabicus), sunwatcher toadhead agama (Phrynocephalus helioscopus), Phrynocephalus horvathi, yellow-spotted agama (Trapelus flavimaculatus), Trapelus pallidus and desert agama (Trapelus mutabilis). Distribution and habitat The thorny devil usually lives in the arid scrubland and desert that covers most of central Australia, sandplain and sandridge desert in the deep interior and the mallee belt. The habitat of the thorny devil coincides more with the regions of sandy loam soils than with a particular climate in Western Australia. Self-defense The thorny devil is covered in hard, rather sharp spines that dissuade attacks by predators by making it difficult to swallow. It also has a false head on its back. When it feels threatened by other animals, it lowers its head between its front legs, and then presents its false head. Predators that consume the thorny devil include wild birds and goannas. Diet The thorny devil mainly subsists on ants, especially Ochetellus flavipes and other species in the Camponotus, Ectatomma, Iridomyrmex (especially Iridomyrmex rufoniger), Monomorium, Ochetellus, Pheidole, or Polyrhachis genera. Thorny devils often eat thousands of ants in one day. The thorny devil collects moisture in the dry desert by the condensation of dew. This dew forms on its skin in the early morning as it begins to