TooCrunkForLinnaeus
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Found this at a local Mexican market. They were only .25 cents each. Does it look like it’s from the Opuntia family? If so,how would you recommend to prepare it? Thanks!Any cactus connoisseurs?
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Found this at a local Mexican market. They were only .25 cents each. Does it look like it’s from the Opuntia family? If so,how would you recommend to prepare it? Thanks!
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- Joined
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- 29,061
- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Some people including myself cut off the spines.
A lot of folks do not. Pointing out the fact that wild tortoises eat it all the time.
You can also jam about 1/3 of the pad in some soil and grow a whole cactus plant.
The one in the photo was just 1 pad four years ago
A lot of folks do not. Pointing out the fact that wild tortoises eat it all the time.
You can also jam about 1/3 of the pad in some soil and grow a whole cactus plant.
The one in the photo was just 1 pad four years ago
TooCrunkForLinnaeus
New Member
Wow! Very nice Zeropilot. Looks like you have a self sustaining supply! Thank you very much for the info!
Yet are there any native tortoises where these cactus grow?
TooCrunkForLinnaeus
New Member
Yes. Gopher and Desert torts both have ranges that contain Opuntia cacti.
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That's been my theory as to why I don't want my poor Redfoots mouths full of spines.
Especially when it's so easy to remove them.
Chaco and Galapagos tortoises too.
Yes, and opuntia has been introduced to multiple places all over the world. In Madagascar some of the farmers line their fields with the fully spined "regular" opuntia. The native tortoises there just walk right up and eat it, spines and all, with no problem.
After seeing that, I don't bother removing the little spines or glochids from my cactus any more and its never been a problem after several years of feeding it out that way.
Yes it is spineless opuntia. To prepare it, simply drop it into the enclosure. For a pad that size, if you are feeding hatchlings or small babies, you can cut off a slice so they can get to the softer innards.
Store the pad somewhere out in the open with good ventilation. Don't keep it in a bag of any kind and don't refrigerate it all. The cut part will scar over and you can cut a new part each time. A pad will last for months as long as you don't put it in a bag or the fridge.
Greetings
I posted what I do to opuntia pads just like urs from the Market in this post if you are interested.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/prickly-pear.170718/#post-1674377
Good luck.
I posted what I do to opuntia pads just like urs from the Market in this post if you are interested.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/prickly-pear.170718/#post-1674377
Good luck.
For babies I take a potato peeler to the pad. In my experience babies have a hard time biting through the hard skin.
I just slice off a piece and give it to my adult Russian; no special handling.
That’s what I’ve been known to do when I’m living too poor to buy gas for my hand held torch.
I'm afraid of little ones choking so I put slices in a food processor with some dried herbs and/or grasses and blend until it resemble guacamole. It causes a feeding frenzy, but if they walk through it they need cleaned immediately or substrate and sphagnum clings to them.
The problem with market cactus is that it's often preserved with diluted lemon or lime juice. Best to drive around until you see someone growing what you like then offer to 'prune' their plant a little! On the other hand...I've given @Tom about 20 pads from two different ssp of opuntia and he has worked some miracle plants! Safe to say...I should be set for life! Seriously though...next visit to Tom's...I actually plan to do an article on his cactus!
I slice 'em thin and I pulverize 'em in the food processor for daytime nourishment...but I also leave 'em intact overnight...the 'work' is great exercise for them
GOOD POINT! Sometimes the pad will not give off a scent...try slicing it or pulverizing it...or even breaking it in half...will change the playing field...big time!
Thank you! I'm going to do that now and see what happens. I didn't think about the scent in this case.
