Introduction

According to a scientific report from 1941, rabbits and rodents ate Opuntia fruit and cladodes. They ate more cactus during drought periods and in winter.

The Details

During the fall drought (Midwest) of 1939, jackrabbits consumed prickly pear (probably O. polyacantha or O. cymochila) at higher-than-normal rates. This feeding continued into the winter, especially when snow covered the ground. When spring arrived in 1940 the jackrabbits ate noticeably less prickly pear, likely because grasses and forbs grew in the spring.

Generally the feeding began in the fall and continued through the winter each year, but it was most evident during the drought of 1939.

The fruits were especially eaten by jackrabbits; however most of the seeds passed through intact and were widely spread as a result. An analysis of jackrabbit fecal pellets showed that the jackrabbits consumed the most prickly pear in overgrazed areas infested with prickly pear.

The article further describes how rodents too ate cacti and distributed the seeds.  Additionally, the 13-lined ground squirrel was documented using the prickly pear clumps as shelter and hiding places. Often the ground squirrels formed a hollow in the ground beneath the prickly pears.

Additional Reading: Rabbits Rodents and Cacti