Animals In The Desert That Eat Cactus
Some of the animals that can eat cactus are camels ground squirrel jackrabbits gophers prairie dogs galapagos land iguana horses packrats woodpecker eastern cottontail collared peccary some cows and horses alpaca etc.
Animals in the desert that eat cactus. A number ofinsects are parasites on these cacti. Although the Coyote eats other animals it can also survive on the prickly pear cactus and its fruits. The Cactus Wren is found in arid deserts of the Southwestern United States and Mexico.
The Cactus Wren needs very little water and can obtain much or all of its water from the food it eats. Some rodents rabbits andhares. Usually the wrens will build nests in the prickly spines of a cactus such as a cholla see picture at right.
Many small animals such as bats and mice eat cactus in the dessert. Some of the animals that can eat cactus are Camels Ground Squirrel Jackrabbits Gophers Prairie dogs Galapagos Land Iguana Horses Packrats Woodpecker Eastern Cottontail Collared Peccary some cows and horses Alpaca etc. Camels can feed on the entire cactus plant including its fruits and thorns.
Jackrabbits eat Prickly Pear cactus and do so near the base where there are no large spines. Insects such as bees and butterflies drink the nectar of the cactus flower. Reptiles eat cacti and their flowers.
Insects such as bees and butterflies drink the nectar of the cactus flower. There are few animals in the desert that dine on cacti and theyusually restrict the menu to the prickly pear cactus. During drought animals will often go for the most common type of cactus prickly pear.
Desert Cottontail Sylvilagus audubonii eating cacti Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge New Mexico USA A Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus perches in a tree in the desert in Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona. The jackrabbit normally eats grasses but it will eat cacti during droughts. Scorpions and spiders also consume insects.