Do animals eat cactus plants? 

Cactus plants in the Cactaceae family of spiny plants. Most cactus plants live in dry, desert environments. They are common in America, South America, and Africa.

The plural of cactus is cacti or cactuses.

Cacti can be tree-like with branches, domed or ball-shaped, and thick or thin columns. They have flowers of various colours, shapes, and sizes. Fruit is produced after the flowers are fertilized. 

Cacti spines can be long, hard, thin, spikes, or short, fuzzy and prickly spikes. All spines are needle-like. The spines are modified leaves, and not thorns (which are modified branches). 

Insects, such as ants, bees, butterflies, and flies like cacti. 

Bees like cactus flowers, and collect their pollen to eat. Bees also help to fertilize cacti so that they can grow fruit. 

Butterflies also like cactus flowers. They spread the cactus pollen so that other cacti can grow. 

Other animals that like cacti include spiders, slugs, snails, birds, bats, and giant tortoises.

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM