Relationships of
Vertebrate Animals
to this Plant:
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Opuntia spp. (Prickly Pear) [Cactaceae]
(observations are from Ernst et al., Martin et al., and Myers et al.)
Mammals
Cervidae: Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) [another study is cited in which an unspecified percentage of deer droppings contained viable seeds of these plants] Myr2004; Sciuridae: Ictidomys tridecemlineatus (Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel) [fruits & seeds comprise 2-5% of the diet in the Prairie region during summer] MZN1951
Turtles
Emydidae: Terrapene ornata (Ornate Box Turtle) [feeds on pads & fruits] EBL1994