![]() ![]() The stems can grow up to several feet long on a happy, established plant. The much easier to remember “rat tail cactus” name comes from the plant’s long, thin stems. However, it has since been reclassified.) (It is also known by an older name, disocactus flagelliformis. Flagelliformis is the most cultivated species in the aporocactus genus. ![]() ![]() So its scientific name is aporocactus flagelliformis. The rat tail cactus is from the aporocactus genus, flagelliformis species. What is a rat tail cactus, aka aporocactus flagelliformis? Plus the flowers on this trailing cactus are awesome. We had one of these growing up, so it definitely brings back good memories for me. But they are so easy! So I can definitely be tempted to grab the cool-looking ones.Īnd the rat tail cactus is definitely one of those. Not long ago I posted a boobie cactus care guide and mentioned that I am not a huge succulent and cactus collector. If the rat’s tail were magically removed, his rotational inertia would disappear, his body would easily rotate around the rope and he would fall off or hang upside down by his feet.Rat tail cactus care is similar to pretty much all other types of cactus–it’s easy! Learn how to take care of this unique trailing cactus, including how to see its gorgeous blooms! How do you take care of a rat tail cactus? This rotational inertia gives him more time to adjust his center of gravity back to the desired position. The rat’s tail increases the rotational inertia of the rat, making it harder for him to rotate around the rope (specifically, it increases his resistance to change in rotational velocity). If he does not correct this rotation, he falls. The rat’s center of gravity must stay directly above the rope - if it moves to one side, gravity will cause him to start rotating around the rope. Think of the rope as an axis, and the rat as able to rotate around that rope. Look at the rat balanced on the rope at right. The rat’s tail follows the same principle as the pole of the circus performer on a high-wire. They climb ropes and anchor chains, they walk along fences and telephone wires and branches, and their tails help them balance. Less blood flows into the tail for cooling, and body heat is conserved. When the rat’s body temperature drops, the tail vessels shrink in diameter - called vasoconstriction - thus restricting blood flow to the tail (Owens et al. The warmer the rat, the more blood flows through the tail, and the more heat is lost (Thompson and Stevenson 1965, Little and Stoner 1968, Rand et al. The warm blood loses heat through the surface of the tail and returns to the body at a lower temperature, thus cooling the rat. ![]() When the rat’s body temperature rises by a few degrees, the tail vessels (especially the veins) swell - called vasodilation - permitting lots of warm blood to flow through the tail (Vanhoutte et al. Rats control their body temperature through their tails by dilating or constricting their tail blood vessels. The tail is well suited for this purpose, because it has no fur, has a large surface to volume ratio, and is perfused with many blood vessels, especially at the tail tip and midlength (Yulong et al. The rat’s tail has a thermoregulatory function: it serves as a heat-loss organ. ![]()
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