The Tortoise Table

Hi,

Should the spines be removed? They are very fine. I’ve just planted two in Herbella’s house and am now wondering if the spines should have been removed although I think most of them are in my hands

Those fine hair-like spines are called glochids, and in my view they are worse than the big spines because they so easily get stuck in your fingers and are maddening to get out.

In the wild tortoises happily eat even pretty spiny cacti and don't seem to suffer, but if you have one with big sharp spines there is a slight danger that they could injure their eyes as they walk past them (I wouldn't worry too much though). I don't have cacti growing in my enclosure, purely because mine would eat it to the ground in the first afternoon and then all my hard work and expense is sort of wasted. So I have cacti growing in pots and pull a pad off every now and then for them. I hold the pad with tongs and with a cigarette lighter just quickly burn off the glochids and spines (they burn off easily), but that probably isn't necessary.

I would leave it and see how Herbella gets on with them. You can buy Opuntia (Prickly Pear) that are almost spineless and with very few glochids, so those are probably the ones to go for. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264991020870 ... s=ispr%3D1 (just an example, you can get them in lots of places).

Nina

Brilliant, thank you. I had a hilariously stupid time. I didn’t have my glasses on so didn’t see the hairlike spines. After planting them I realised I had spike in my hands, pulled them out with my teeth and then got them stuck on my tongue!!

I can top that! I once had some cacti on the ledge half way up a sash window. Below that, attached to a radiator was a drying rack and I had hung some underpants on it after they'd been washed. I raised the sash window and one of the cacti fell to the floor. It didn't seem to touch anything else, and I didn't think too much of it, and just picked it up, put it back on the pot and then back on the window ledge. The next day I took a pair of underpants off the drying rack and put them on, and I immediately felt the sensation of a thousand little glochids in my bottom! The cactus must have brushed past the pants on its way down -- I can't tell you how difficult it was getting those out!

Nina

OMG Funny but probably not funny at the time! I’ve still got one stuck in my soft pallet. I’m hoping that eating will get rid of it.

Nina, the glochid in my soft pallet has finally disappeared. I thought I was going to be living with it forever

Gosh, that was there for a long time. Talk about deadly weapons! Glad you're glochid free now though

Nina

I think you should consider removing the thorns before planting. Although the spines are very thin, they can be uncomfortable or even dangerous to touch. Removing thorns before planting will help avoid unnecessary problems.

New to the Tortoise world and I live in Goodyear, AZ USA. We have lots of Prickly Pear that grows wild here in the South West of AZ. Thanks on the information about the glochid (aka thorns).
Cooter1959

Hi Cooter1959, and welcome to The Tortoise Table! What species of tortoise do you keep?

Nina