After encountering a cholla cactus, Charlie had to have spines removed from his eyes, mouth, and paws by Arizona Humane Society veterinarians Kelli Bender is the Pets Editor at PEOPLE. She has been ...

The jumping cholla cactus’ innocuous, shrub-like appearance belies its prickly spines’ strength: As a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals, a single cholla spine embedded ...

Scientists have unraveled some of the mechanical mysteries behind the pokes and prods of cacti. Like porcupine quills, the barbed spines of some cactus species easily puncture their prey but are ...

Did you know that there are over 1700 species of cacti—spiny plants that have evolved to survive some of the harshest environments on earth. Over the course of their evolutionary history, most species ...

If you’ve spent any time in Arizona, you’ve no doubt been introduced to the wide array of Plants That Will Hurt You. Ranking pretty close to the top and widely considered a terrible nuisance is the ...

PHOENIX — A puppy that was found covered in cactus spines in Surprise last month is ready for adoption after recovering. The 5-month-old Chihuahua puppy named “Cholla Charlie” was in quite a bit of ...

The spines of the jumping cholla cactus slide in with ease, but they’re grueling to extract. You can thank their barbs. ByKatherine J. Wu Tuesday, November 20, 2018 NOVA NextNOVA Next This unfortunate ...

KINGMAN, Ariz. — It was wildlife officers to the rescue when a deer fawn got itself into a painful and pickly situation a few weeks ago in western Arizona. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) ...