Miss Croft, on your point about legalities you are a bit off the mark. All you have to do in NSW is prove that there is a legitimate source from another state to get a species code (obviously there would need to be a bit of a review given the difficulty in keeping the species, but it is certainly possible).
Both private keepers and institutions are reluctant to detail failures in text, however you do hear a lot about failures in keeping this species. I know that Sydney Wildlife World recently lost their thorny devils.
In regards to your statement about their similarity to Phrynosoma, I think you'll find that Moloch is far less opporunistic in their foraging behavior (Phrynosoma is known to take beetles in lieu of harvester ants, and known to take multiple species of ants). Further to this, the behavior of small black ants in regards to trails is vastly different to what I have seen of harvester ants (i.e. they form a clear line over a very specific trail).
To assume that no-one in Australia has tried to supplement or change their diet and haven't accounted for parasite load in wild animals is just plain arrogant. But maybe they just need your years of experience.
