Thorny Devil Exhibit

I visited Melbourne Museum today just for a casual visit with a friend. It\'s free so I didn\'t bother looking around the whole building but was glad I went into the insect exhibit when I saw this pair thorny devils living in the black ant exhibit. I only had my phone on me so these aren\'t the best photos.

That's a great addition PAT, but what will happen when they eat all the black ants...?

They appear to have held this species for quite a while, at least back to 2006, a pair, then just a female from 2009, and then a pair again from 2012. But presumably they have only recently gone on display? I think the only other places holding them are the Alice Springs Desert Park and Alice Springs Reptile Centre.

zooboy28 said:

That's a great addition PAT, but what will happen when they eat all the black ants...?

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I thought of that too. They were insatiable.

zooboy28 said:

They appear to have held this species for quite a while, at least back to 2006, a pair, then just a female from 2009, and then a pair again from 2012. But presumably they have only recently gone on display? I think the only other places holding them are the Alice Springs Desert Park and Alice Springs Reptile Centre.

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I didn't even realise that the museum held them before now. It was a first for me that I definitely didn't expect to see today.

that is cool. I have never seen a moloch before. (Starts counting money for an air ticket....)

Chlidonias said:

(Starts counting money for an air ticket....)

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Save enough to get to Alice Springs, you might even see one in situ. The birding there is fantastic too.



Hix

Hix said:

Save enough to get to Alice Springs, you might even see one in situ. The birding there is fantastic too.

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I wouldn't really fly to Australia just to see a moloch in a tank. Long-beaked echidna yes, because I'm probably never going to see another one ever and there was a good chance the Taronga ones would go back off-show or die, but for moloch I can just look for them in the wild easily enough.

I went in 2016, but back then I didn't keep a list and I didn't take my camera.

I remember seeing this exhibit, but honestly can't remember whether I saw the Thorny devils in it or not.

Do Melbourne Museum still keep these as when I next go to Australia I may have to call through Melbourne for these.

I’m not sure that Melbourne Museum still has thorny devil. Maybe someone who visits more regularly can give an update.