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By Budukai
Posts:  290
Joined:  Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:30 am
#23629
I came into a random conversation with an acquaintance of mine after he saw my flytraps. He mentioned a cactus that could shoot it's needles at predators if it felt the foes electric pulses if it got to close to it. I kinda don't believe him to be honest, that just seems way to smart of a plant to protect itself and scary if you have kids and they come to close to it. So I just wanted to put it out there to see if such a cactus really does exist or if you guys heard of such a thing :)
By Amac
Location: 
Posts:  250
Joined:  Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:10 pm
#23677
AHAHA It's a natural burglar defense!
By Eric
Location: 
Posts:  1143
Joined:  Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:23 am
#23752
maybe he's talking about a porcupine.
By Budukai
Posts:  290
Joined:  Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:30 am
#23769
Eric wrote:maybe he's talking about a porcupine.
Porcupine literally have to hit the target to break it's quills on the the predator, this cactus apparently can do this all from the feeling of the foes electric impulses which then allows it to shoot the quills onto the body.
By kevinqwe
Location: 
Posts:  1840
Joined:  Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:04 am
#23855
i thought porcupines could shoot quils. :|
By Budukai
Posts:  290
Joined:  Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:30 am
#23857
kevinqwe wrote:i thought porcupines could shoot quils. :|
Not possible, there's no mammal that could do such a thing. It may be possible with plants, but that's still to be decided. Quite frankly the only thing that I can think of that shoots something as a projectile is a human with a gun.
By English Springer
Location: 
Posts:  705
Joined:  Wed May 06, 2009 1:08 am
#23873
Not sure if I believe the cactus story...
I have seen video of fish spitting water at insects on overhanging plants to knock them into the water.
You have to admit that is a nice evolutionary/learned trick!!
Peace!
E.S.
By Amac
Location: 
Posts:  250
Joined:  Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:10 pm
#23884
I just read something creepy about cacti. Go to the Linkhttp://www.snopes.com/horrors/insects/cactus.asp

Oh wait I just read further and It's not actually real creepy though.
By dionaea muscipula
Location: 
Posts:  1956
Joined:  Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:13 am
#23910
actally there is a plant like that its a type of orchid not a cactus i will try to find a vid of it
By Veronis
Location: 
Posts:  2202
Joined:  Fri May 29, 2009 8:41 pm
#23913
Cacti can't shoot needles.

Your friend deserves a good thwapping, I'd say. ;)
By lemonlily
Location: 
Posts:  3168
Joined:  Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:54 pm
#23928
Is it that thing that shoots seeds out? I don't remember the name...
By Budukai
Posts:  290
Joined:  Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:30 am
#23951
English Springer wrote:Not sure if I believe the cactus story...
I have seen video of fish spitting water at insects on overhanging plants to knock them into the water.
You have to admit that is a nice evolutionary/learned trick!!
Peace!
E.S.
Oh yeah, that's a smart fish. I remember watching them, that's a sweet way of getting a meal.
By lemonlily
Location: 
Posts:  3168
Joined:  Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:54 pm
#23957
Hey, my cacti don't shoot needles at me.
By Budukai
Posts:  290
Joined:  Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:30 am
#23962
lemonlily wrote:Hey, my cacti don't shoot needles at me.
I would think not, it was just a specific cactus I was talking about, it probably doesn't exist.
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