Why do camels like cactus?

Cactus is one of the plants that we are both familiar with and afraid of. We are afraid because the cactus in the desert grows thick and strong thorns in order to reduce its own water evaporation and protect itself. Such a dangerous plant should be watched in a safe place or away from it.

But there is an animal that is not afraid of this thorn, but feeds on cactus. This animal that dares to eat cactus is a dull-looking stupid camel, which is called a boat in the desert. Camels are not only not afraid of cactus, but also love to eat cactus. This is because camels and cacti are creatures that grow in the desert for a long time. The harsh living environment in the desert made them all evolve their own characteristics of resisting nature. Due to the extreme lack of water in the desert, almost no living things can survive, except cactus, a drought-tolerant plant. Camels are thirsty because they have water in their bellies to store.

Camel's nose structure is very special, and its nasal cavity is full of tiny curved airways. When camels drink a lot of water, their secretions become dry and form a hard film. When the camel exhales, the dura mater can absorb water from the lungs; When it inhales, the water stored in the dura mater is sent to the lungs, and the cycle is repeated. Although the camel itself can store some water, the water stored in the camel will run out sooner or later after a long journey in the arid desert.

In order to replenish their own water sources, camels can only choose to eat the only cactus rich in water in the desert to quench their thirst. However, because cactus is full of thorns, if it is eaten in a weak mouth, it will definitely be stabbed to death. However, camels have many conical nipples in their mouths. With the growth of camel's age, some nipples have become keratinized and become very hard. It is under the protection of these hard nipples that the camel's mouth will not be scratched or stabbed when chewing cactus.

Secondly, water and plants in the desert are very scarce. Cactus is a rare water storage food in the desert. Cactus is a rare delicacy for camels. Moreover, the succulent stem of cactus contains a lot of comprehensive nutrients and trace elements, which is much higher than other crops.

So camels like to eat cactus.