How Do These Animals Devour Prickly Cactus Plants Without Injury?

1. Arabian Camel

Thick, flexible, and leathery lips allow the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) to adeptly grab stems and pads of cacti without feeling pain. While there are no native cactus plants overlapping the range of Arabian camels, non-native species have taken root. The adaptations for eating thorny, non-cactus plants have allowed the Arabian camel to transition quite well to eating cacti.

Their rotational chewing abilities allow them to orient the plant to the best position, and the roof of their mouth is hardened to prevent injury from spines. Finally, raised, cone-shaped, rough nodules called papillae line their mouth, cheeks, and tongue. These structures further protect the mouth from the spines and help guide them safely down the throat. This prevents the spines from doing any damage as the plant is swallowed.

2. Animals That Eat Cactus: Javelinas

A favorite meal of javelinas (aka peccaries) is the prickly pear cactus’s roots, fruit, stems, and pads. With 2-inch-long canines, solid and flat molars, and a hardened palate, javelinas first expertly shred and grind and then consume prickly pear pads with 6-inch-long needles!

Javelinas (members of the family Tayassuidae) will often uproot the entire cactus plant. Tough, thickened skin around their snout and coarse hair covering their bodies allow them to uproot these spiny plants without injury.

3. Desert Tortoise

Because they lack adaptations to eat long-spined cacti, desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) target plants that are covered only in tiny bristles called glochidia, rather than long spines. With their incredibly tough and hardened beak, the desert tortoise can grind down the pads of typically spineless prickly pear species such as Opuntia basilaris. They also devour the fruit of prickly pears.

4. Galapagos Land Iguana

On the island of Galapagos, the Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) relies on the high moisture content in cacti as a primary freshwater source. Their thick, leathery skin, hardened palate, and tough tongue protect them from the spines of the cactus pads. They use their claws to remove the largest spines before eating spiky prickly pear cacti (Opuntia spp). The fruit and pads of prickly pears can make up about 80% of the Galapagos land iguana’s diet.

5. Desert Bighorn Sheep

The desert bighorn sheep is an expert at using its horns for defense, offense, and even busting open cacti. To supplement their water intake, these clever desert sheep seek out the fleshy insides of the barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), which is high in moisture content. They use their powerful horns to smash the round cactus apart and then devour the spineless flesh.

6. Antelope Jackrabbit

For the antelope jackrabbit (Lepus alleni), safely eating cacti depends in part on expertly avoiding the thorny parts of the plant. They also use their long claws to scrape off the nodule-like areoles that produce glochidia. With a small, nimble mouth, antelope jackrabbits can feast on small portions of the cactus at a time, carefully removing glochidia and avoiding large spines as they eat.

7. Longhorn Cactus Beetle

The longhorn cactus beetle (Moneilema spp.) is a genus of insects that feed on and live within various cactus species in North American deserts. In their larval stage, these insects bore into the roots and stems of cacti. As adults, they feed primarily on chollas, prickly pear cacti, and young saguaro. Their armor-like exoskeleton allows them to walk on the surface of the cactus stems without suffering injury. There, longhorn cactus beetles can freely nibble on the spineless areas of the plant.