File:Gopher Tortoise snacking on Opuntia ( Nopales ) cactus at Smyrna Dunes Park unscathed^ Scroll down for the series. - Flickr - Andrea Westmoreland.jpg

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English: Gopher Tortoise snacking on Opuntia ( Nopales ) cactus at Smyrna Dunes Park unscathed^ Scroll down for the series.

I have always wondered how Gopher Tortoises can eat cacti without any harm from the spines or glochids . I watched this tortoise wolf down some and still don't know! The speed with which it consumed this plant was amazing!! The tongue looks so incredibly vulnerable. How does it happen? He ate this down to the ground.

Click on this link and read the first sentence of the 3rd paragraph. It says tortoises can eat the Opuntia cactus pads because they have no pain receptors in their mouths.

fnpsblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/edible-native-recovers-from...

I'm still not convinced but maybe that's it. It still would seem the spines could do damage to them but aparently don't.
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Source Gopher Tortoise snacking on Opuntia ( Nopales ) cactus at Smyrna Dunes Park unscathed! Scroll down for the series.
Author Andrea Westmoreland from DeLand, United States

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This image was originally posted to Flickr by Andrea Westmoreland at https://www.flickr.com/photos/81104336@N00/4759583077. It was reviewed on 10 May 2013 by FlickreviewR and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-sa-2.0.

10 May 2013

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current21:46, 10 May 2013Thumbnail for version as of 21:46, 10 May 20132,191 × 2,592 (1.05 MB)Slick-o-bot (talk | contribs)== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Information |Description=© Andrea Westmoreland I have always wondered how Gopher Tortoises can eat cacti without any harm from the spines or glochids . I watched this tortoise wolf down some and still don't know! The speed wit...

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