Creeping Devil: a Mexican cactus that can move on the ground

The Mexicans called this cactus " Creeping devil — - Stenocereus eruca is able to move on the ground with the help of appendages.

The creeping devil grows only in the Northwest of the Mexican state of Baja California sur. Unlike all other cacti, this one does not grow vertically, but horizontally. Slowly, just two to three centimeters a year, the cactus moves through the desert to find the most optimal conditions for growth.

The cactus stalk is slightly raised above the ground. As it grows, this tip will become firmly established in the new sandy soil, and the old" body " of the cactus will begin to dry, eventually decomposing into nutrients that help the new stem to exist. In a sense, the creeping devil must first dry out in order to continue living.

Now Stenocereus eruca is on the verge of destruction. Its thorny stems grow parallel to the ground, which makes it difficult to graze cattle-local farmers with amazing indifference destroy entire thickets of the amazing plant.