Nature's fortress: How cacti keep water in and predators out - Lucas C. Majure episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 1, 2026 · 6 MIN

Nature's fortress: How cacti keep water in and predators out - Lucas C. Majure

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Discover the adaptations that allow cacti to not only survive, but thrive, in some of the harshest desert climates on Earth. --If you were a jackrabbit in the desert, you’d be glad to stumble across a cactus: the flesh of these plants is a water source for many animals. Known for their spines and succulent stems, cacti of all shapes and sizes have evolved to not just survive, but thrive, in some of the harshest desert climates on Earth. So how do they do it? Lucas C. Majure shares the prickly plant’s unique adaptations. Lesson by Lucas C. Majure, directed by Joseph Clark, Oh Studio.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/nature-s-fortress-how-cacti-keep-water-in-and-predators-out-lucas-c-majureDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/nature-s-fortress-how-cacti-keep-water-in-and-predators-out-lucas-c-majure#digdeeperAnimator's website: http://ohstudio.co.uk----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Sonja Worzewski, Amy, Michael Clement, Ghaith Tarawneh, Nathan Milford, Tomas Beckett, Alice Ice, Eric Berman, Kurt Paolo Sevillano, Ron Kakar, Jennifer Heald, Megulo Abebe, TAO7CADENCE, Olympia Buckingham, isolwi, Vedasheersh, Michael Chang, Waqar Sheikh, Irene Y., Kate Sem, VPpurplebelt, Ujjwal Dasu, Angel Alberici, Minh Quan Dinh, Sylvain, JasonD, Terran Gimpel, Talia Sari, Katie McDowell, Allen, Sarat Chandra Vegunta, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Adriano Fontes, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, SpartacusDMR, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Leonardo Monrroy, Maryam, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers and Avinash Amarnath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the adaptations that allow cacti to not only survive, but thrive, in some of the harshest desert climates on Earth. --If you were a jackrabbit in the desert, you’d be glad to stumble across a cactus: the flesh of these plants is a water source for many animals. Known for their spines and succulent stems, cacti of all shapes and sizes have evolved to not just survive, but thrive, in some of the harshest desert climates on Earth. So how do they do it? Lucas C. Majure shares the prickly plant’s unique adaptations. Lesson by Lucas C. Majure, directed by Joseph Clark, Oh Studio.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/nature-s-fortress-how-cacti-keep-water-in-and-predators-out-lucas-c-majureDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/nature-s-fortress-how-cacti-keep-water-in-and-predators-out-lucas-c-majure#digdeeperAnimator's website: http://ohstudio.co.uk----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Sonja Worzewski, Amy, Michael Clement, Ghaith Tarawneh, Nathan Milford, Tomas Beckett, Alice Ice, Eric Berman, Kurt Paolo Sevillano, Ron Kakar, Jennifer Heald, Megulo Abebe, TAO7CADENCE, Olympia Buckingham, isolwi, Vedasheersh, Michael Chang, Waqar Sheikh, Irene Y., Kate Sem, VPpurplebelt, Ujjwal Dasu, Angel Alberici, Minh Quan Dinh, Sylvain, JasonD, Terran Gimpel, Talia Sari, Katie McDowell, Allen, Sarat Chandra Vegunta, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Adriano Fontes, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, SpartacusDMR, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Leonardo Monrroy, Maryam, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers and Avinash Amarnath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Nature's fortress: How cacti keep water in and predators out - Lucas C. Majure

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Discover the adaptations that allow cacti to not only survive, but thrive, in some of the harshest desert climates on Earth. --If you were a jackrabbit in the desert, you’d be glad to stumble across a cactus: the flesh of these plants is a water...

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