@mattiasklumofficial

Of the 200 species of prickly pear cactus or Opuntia that grow across the Americas, only six grow here in the Galápagos Islands. After reaching Galapagos, these six species rapidly diversified into 14 different varieties – an example of adaptive radiation. Tall varieties thrive on islands where there are giant tortoises, whereas on islands where tortoises are absent, shorter varieties can be found. The tallest cactus, the size of a tree, is found in Santa Cruz, where they can grow up to 12m tall, while Santa Fe is home to the smallest cactus of the species, reaching the only 2.6m. The cacti are consumed by land iguanas, giant tortoises, doves, cactus finches and mockingbirds, as well as invasive species such as goats. Photographed on assignment for @natgeo #mattiasaklum #galapagos #opuntia #protectbiodiversity @charlesdarwinfoundation @alexandrovklumofficial @natgeo @mattiasklumofficial @irisalexandrov