Male desert tortoise eating beavertail prickly pear

A radioed male tortoise in the Santa Rosa Mountains, CA eating a beavertail prickly pear cactus. During the extreme drought conditions we are experiencing, that is the only food available for them with any moisture. They have to cope with all the little spiny gloccids (hair-like spines) that cover the pads of the cactus. Video provided by Dr. Bill Hoese at California State University, Fullerton provided to Jeff Lovich, SBSC, USGS with permission to use.