Along my trails live lots of prickly pear cactus. Mostly I try to stay away from those things because they are full of pricklers and I don’t want to get pricked by them. Somebody around here doesn’t seem to be worried about that though, because there are big bites out of some of those cacti.
I wonder if they taste any good. Someone thinks they do because they’re willing to brave the pricklers and all in order to eat them. I’d sure like to try them – they must be very good – but I’m going to see if my person will remove the pricklers first.
My person says it’s the javelina that eat those things. Those creatures must be braver than I thought, or dumber. I wonder if they run around with pricklers in their mouths. Ouch!
I think there’s a new kind of javelina stalking my trails now. When the normal javelinas bite into a prickly pear the bite mark is curved and bumpy. But these new bites are straight across and smooth. And this new javelina is not very good at finishing everything on its plate. It leaves most of its food on the ground.
I think this new javelina deserves a good spanking.
Related articles
- Unwelcome Visitors (bongodogblog.wordpress.com)
- Pricklers (bongodogblog.wordpress.com)
bongodogblog 
thesweetkitten
December 27, 2011 at 11:04 am
Do be careful, Bongo, with these prickly plants and those javelinas! I don’t want anything bad to happen to you!
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 11:17 am
Sweet Kitten, I’m pretty careful around those prickly pears, and the javelina mostly come out at night so I don’t see them on the trails. Thanks for being concerned about me. My person watches me pretty good – sometimes I wish she wouldn’t watch me quite so much.
Mumsy
December 27, 2011 at 11:09 am
Well, that is being wasteful of that new javelina. You are wise to stay clear of those things those pricklies hurt a lot! We don’t know how they taste and we don’t want to fight the pricklies to find out. Be safe sweet Bongo and keep your distance while walking near those painful prickly things. Hugs and nose kisses
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Mumsy, I promise I’ll watch myself around the pricklers. My person says she’s eaten stuff made from prickly pear fruit – the fruit has pricklers too, and she says in Mexico they even sell the cactus pieces in grocery stores. I think they remove the pricklers first. I wish my person would remove some for me. Hugs and nose kisses back to you.
jaxart4animals
December 27, 2011 at 11:42 am
Wow! I’m surprised Anything could live through eating one of them prickly pears.. I can’t even imagine what it must be like digesting one of those spiky pricklers!!
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Jaxart4animals, I don’t know how they do it either – that’s why I want my person to take the pricklers off before I try one.
misswhiplash
December 27, 2011 at 12:25 pm
don’t you dare touch those prickly things they will hurt you and then you would have to go to the vets.
but What is a javelina? i have never heard of these creatures
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Patreciau, I try to stay away from those prickler things, although if I accidentally do, my person says she’s pretty good with the tweezers. Click on the “Unwelcome Visitors” link at the end of the post and you’ll see what a javelina is. Most people in the States don’t even know what they are. They only live in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and places south of the States.
rumpydog
December 27, 2011 at 3:40 pm
hmmmmm….. isn’t it great those prickly cacti provide food and water for those javelinas. Of course, I gues once it snows again they’ll have plenty of water.
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Rumpy, one thing that’s good for the javelinas – the prickly pear cactus are around all year and nobody else wants to eat them.
Misty Shores Chesapeakes
December 27, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Very wise to stay clear of those things they look very dangerous.
Yes I am wondering also what a javelina is, maybe your mom could post some pictures for us.
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Misty Shores, my person posted a picture on this link https://bongodogblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/unwelcome-visitors/
Misty Shores Chesapeakes
December 27, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Thanx Bongo, they do look kind of like pigs 🙂
philosophermouseofthehedge
December 27, 2011 at 3:44 pm
Bongo you’re right. Alien Javelina? Pinchers instead of teeth? Trying to weaken the earth’s inhabitants by wasting food source? How rude. Those guys do deserve a wack. Hike on, Bongo!
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Karen, I think I’d better take a paddle out on the trails with me from now on – in case I run across one of those alien javelinas.
whatimeant2say
December 27, 2011 at 4:53 pm
It really scares me that there are creatures in this world who can actually chomp down on that plant.
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 7:46 pm
I bet Wonderbutt could chomp down on a cactus.
Uptown Dog
December 27, 2011 at 5:50 pm
You’d have to be a pretty desperate animal to eat one of those prickly pears. Ouch!
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Uptown Dog, my person did some research and found out the prickly pear is the main food source for those javelina. I guess God had a plan for everything.
Wayside Artist
December 27, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Bongo, those javalinas look and sound more dangerous than the prickly pears. Madam L suggests we stay in Pennsylvania and not visit places with cactus eating creatures!!!
Bongo
December 27, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Nanina, we do have some dangerous creatures out here, but javelina are some of the strangest.
Bassas Blog
December 27, 2011 at 10:18 pm
Yes Bongo, the javelina deserves a good spanking – with a Prickly Pear cactus! 🙂
Bongo
December 28, 2011 at 12:03 am
Bassa, I was thinking of using a paddle, but a spanking with a prickly pear cactus is the best idea yet – as long as I can find some heavy doggie paw gloves first.
Nel
December 28, 2011 at 1:48 am
Perhaps the newer javelinas have found a way to remove the pricklers. On the other hand, they do deserve some spanking for wasting food like that.
Bongo
December 28, 2011 at 11:34 am
Nel, those newer javelinas certainly need to be spanked for wasting their food. They didn’t even remove the pricklers – maybe that’s why they didn’t eat it.
Sunshine
December 28, 2011 at 2:08 am
Humm, this is a real interesting story… a bit mysterious since you haven’t really actually seen a javelina tearing off the prickly pear cactus~have you Bongo? But I guess there are no other animals as big or as destructive as the javelina out where you live, is there?
Haha…funny, the spanking part 🙂
Bongo
December 28, 2011 at 11:39 am
Sunshine, we do have other big animals out here – mainly deer and coyote – but there are rare sightings of mountain lions and bears. But none of them include prickly pear in their diet – except for javelina. It would be fun to see them do it, and to spank them if they are still wasting their food.
angelswhisper2011
December 28, 2011 at 2:36 am
Don’t you think it’s a little mysterious, Bongo, looks like some creature destroyed the beautiful cactus istead of eaten it. Take care, sweet dog 🙂
Bongo
December 28, 2011 at 11:42 am
Angelswhisper, my person says that creature who destroyed the cactus probably walks on two legs. I’m not sure what she’s talking about.
2browndawgs
December 28, 2011 at 3:58 am
When we saw the title, we thought the prickly pears had attacked you Bongo. We envisioned all of these spiked green plants chasing you around. Thank goodness that is not the case. 😆
the 2 brown dawgs
Bongo
December 28, 2011 at 11:43 am
Brown Dawgs, yikes! That would be scary having those cactus chase me around. I’m sure glad they can’t shoot their pricklers. I’d be in real trouble.
eripanwkevin
December 28, 2011 at 7:22 am
Bongo, is the cactus edible? If it is for javelinas, for humans, too? I wonder how it tastes……brave javelines!! They must know how to eat the cactus without injuries! 🙂
Bongo
December 28, 2011 at 11:48 am
Kevin, the cactus is edible. My person doesn’t know anyone who’s tried it, although she’s seen it in grocery stores. She says she thinks it’s more common to see it in stores in Mexico than in the States. She says she has eaten candy made from the prickly pear fruit, which is ripe in the fall. A lot of the tourist shops around here carry prickly pear candy and jelly. The fruit has pricklers on it too.
For the Love of My Dogs
December 28, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Those javelinas are just trouble, trouble, trouble! I’m happy you did not get attacked by the prickly pear…that was our first thought when we read the title of this post…but silly us, you’re too smart for that, huh? 🙂
Bongo
December 28, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Deannamelanie, my person thinks I may have had some prickly pear experience before I came to live here, because I’m pretty good about avoiding them. I’m not giving away any embarrassing secrets though.
Bassetmomma
December 29, 2011 at 6:32 am
Thank goodness you weren’t attacked by the prickly pears! I love seeing your pics!
Bongo
December 29, 2011 at 11:57 am
Thanks Bassetmomma. I’m sure glad too that those cactus didn’t attack me. My person would still be pulling out the pricklers.
eripanwkevin
December 29, 2011 at 6:49 am
Wow ” prickly pear candy and jelly” !!! Mom checked the prickly pear fruit on web and the pics surprised me and her!!! Never seen them before. We wonder how it tastes? like pear??? Very interesting! Thanks for telling it us, Bongo! 🙂
Bongo
December 29, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Kevin, my person says she hasn’t had any prickly pear candy for a long time – but she says it just mostly tastes sweet because of all the sugar the put into it.
Just Ramblin' Pier
December 30, 2011 at 7:20 am
Those cactus plants look painful! I am glad you do not try to eat them…yikes! : )
Bongo
December 30, 2011 at 8:57 am
Just Ramblin’ Pier, I know better than to try eating those silly cactus, but the javelina sure love them. Crazy javelina.
michael
February 16, 2012 at 8:57 am
I have never heard of a javelina. Thanks for the funny post.
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Warmly Mike The Eat Healthy Guy
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Bongo
February 16, 2012 at 11:08 am
Michael, glad you enjoyed my post – and learned something too. Not many people have heard of javelinas unless they live near them. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.