Saturday, July 26, 2014

Tortoise Eating Tuna

Another hot, humid, and beautiful day at Tohono Chul Park.
This is a desert tortoise:
Desert Tortoise 3-18-2013 8-39-40 AM 2580x2148
These are the fruit of prickly pears. Around here they are called TUNAS. Most birds and animals love them:
220px-Prickly_Pear_Closeup
This video shows a desert tortoise eating a tuna.  YUM!





2 comments:

  1. As I recall from my youth, prickly pear fruit are tasty, but a bit astringent. An acquired taste, I suppose. Unless you're a tortoise. Beats the hell out of creosote bushes I bet!

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    1. Prickly pear is actually very tasty. Creosote contains a kidney-destroying poison, but some animals (pack rats and jackrabbits) are able to eat it. In pack rats, the bacteria in their guts renders the poison harmless. Not sure about the jackrabbits, but probably the same thing.

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