What If a Cactus Pricks You? 🌵🔍Wolfoo Explore - Nature | Educational Videos

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00][music] >> Woah, what is that floor?

[00:00:11]>> [laughter] >> Oh, why does cactus have spikes? I'll tell you about it. Let knowledge click.

[00:00:29]Long ago, cactus ancestors had leaves like normal plants. These sharp spikes are actually leaves that changed over millions of years to help the plant survive in the dry desert. Big leaves lose water very quickly. So, over time, the leaves became smaller, harder, and turned into spikes to reduce water loss.

[00:00:54]Not only that, spikes can block sunlight, reflect light, and even help keep the plant warm when the desert gets cold at night.

[00:01:05]And of course, they also protect the plant from animals that want to eat it.

[00:01:15]Some cacti have very tiny spikes called glochids. They are almost invisible and have tiny hooks, so they go into the skin easily, but are hard to remove.

[00:01:29]When you get poked, it can hurt like a bee sting. Your skin may turn red and swell a little because your body is reacting and protecting you.

[00:01:41]Sometimes, if the spikes stay in your skin or carry dirt and germs, they can cause infection.

[00:01:49]If it gets very swollen, painful, or has pus, tell an adult right away. Oh, so what should I do if I get poked [music] by a cactus? First, stay calm.

[00:02:02]If the spike is big, ask an adult to use clean tweezers to gently pull it out.

[00:02:09]Yeah. For tiny spikes, you can use tape to stick and pull them out. Or use a thin layer of glue and peel it off. Then wash the area with water and mild soap and cover it to protect the skin.

[00:02:24]I got it. From now on, I'll just look at cacti from far away.

[00:02:29]That's all for now. Stay tuned for our next exploration.

[00:02:39]This tree looks like a mouth. Wahoo!

[00:02:48]A monster tree!

[00:02:52]>> [screaming] >> IT'S NOT A MONSTER. It's a Venus flytrap. But does it bite us?

[00:03:04]I'll tell you [music] what it is. Let knowledge click.

[00:03:09]Did you know every plant needs food from the ground to grow? Just like you need food every day.

[00:03:19]But this Venus flytrap lives in swampy places where the soil has almost no food.

[00:03:27]>> [laughter] >> So, it came up [music] with a super smart idea.

[00:03:32]It catches bugs like flies, ants, and mosquitoes to eat.

[00:03:39]Instead of just growing leaves [music] and flowers, it has traps that look like mouths. Inside the plant's mouth, there are tiny little hairs. When a fly or an ant [music] touches them for a few seconds, the plant knows, "Aha, that's real food."

[00:03:59]Right away, the trap snaps shut super fast. The bug gets stuck inside and the plant [music] releases special digestive juices.

[00:04:09]After a few days, it soaks up all the nutrients and gently opens again, ready for its next meal.

[00:04:18]>> [screaming] >> It might look scary, but the Venus flytrap only eats tiny bugs, not people.

[00:04:27]Besides the Venus flytrap, did you know there are around 700 kinds of carnivorous plants in the world?

[00:04:36]Take this pitcher plant, for example.

[00:04:40]It gives off a sweet smell to lure insects.

[00:04:44]Then, snaps its lid shut.

[00:04:49]And this is the sundew plant.

[00:04:52]Its leaves are super sticky. When a bug touches them, they curl up right away.

[00:05:01]Bladderwort, this plant has tiny bubbles called bladders. When a little bug swims by, the bubble sucks it in and the plant eats it.

[00:05:15]THAT'S IT FOR TODAY. JOIN Woofoo as he continues exploring the amazing world in the next [music] episodes.

[00:05:29]>> [laughter] >> Oh. Oh.

[00:05:49]NO.

[00:05:49]>> [screaming] >> IT WOULDN'T GROW INTO A TREE, WOOF WOOF.

[00:05:55]Do you [music] want to know why?

[00:05:57]Let knowledge click.

[00:06:01]A watermelon seed needs soil, water, and sunlight in order to sprout and grow into a plant.

[00:06:18]On the other hand, the stomach lacks the conditions needed for a seed to sprout.

[00:06:25]>> [crying and laughter] >> If the watermelon seed doesn't grow, what will happen to it?

[00:06:36]>> [screaming] >> The substances in your stomach will help push it out within about 3 days, along with all the food.

[00:06:56]That means I can eat as much watermelon seeds as I want, right?

[00:07:03]One or two seeds won't hurt, but swallowing too many can make you choke or even have stomach ache.

[00:07:20]When you eat watermelon, make sure to spit out the seeds to stay safe, okay?

[00:07:26]>> Yes.

[00:07:29]Wow.

[00:07:41]That's it for today. Join Woofoo as he continues exploring the amazing world in the next episode.

[00:07:58]>> [gasps] >> Why is there a chili on this?

[00:08:19]What's wrong with you, Daddy?

[00:08:22]That's because he ate spicy food.

[00:08:27]I can tell you why. Let knowledge click.

[00:08:32]Did you know spicy isn't really a taste like sweet, sour, or salty?

[00:08:40]>> [laughter] >> Chili peppers have special chemical inside. When it touches your tongue, it tickles your nerves and makes your mouth feel all hot and burning.

[00:08:55]The nerves send a message to your brain.

[00:08:58]Your brain thinks you're really burning, so it tells your body to cool down like making your heartbeat fast, your eyes cry, and your skin sweat even though you're not really hot.

[00:09:14]Better drink water. Why is my mouth [music] still on fire? The spicy chemical doesn't mix with water.

[00:09:22]Drinking water just spreads the heat.

[00:09:26]To cool it down, try something with fat or starch like ice cream, milk, butter, rice, or bread.

[00:09:39]Think of cool away the spicy and calm your mouth fast.

[00:09:46]Oh.

[00:09:48]But why do some people like spicy food?

[00:09:52]For some people, spicy food makes their taste buds tingle and gives them a fun feeling like riding a roller coaster.

[00:10:04]Stay tuned for our next exploration.

[00:10:09]>> [screaming] [laughter] >> Now that I've set foot on the moon, it's time to explore THE SUN.

[00:10:25]OH.

[00:10:27]YOU'RE planning to visit the sun?

[00:10:31]That's super dangerous. Did you know why nobody could set foot on the sun?

[00:10:38]Let knowledge click.

[00:10:42]>> [laughter] >> The sun is a giant star made of hot gases.

[00:10:47]The sun's surface temperature is over 5,500°C.

[00:10:54]That's hundreds of times hotter than a pizza oven.

[00:10:59]The deeper you go into the sun's core, the hotter it gets, reaching up to 15 million degrees Celsius.

[00:11:09]This means we can't even get close to the sun, let alone live on its surface.

[00:11:17]Even if we could invent a heat-proof suit to get close to the sun, it would still be nearly impossible to live there. The temperature [music] is way too high and the sun has no ground, no plants, or water.

[00:11:33]See, the sun is always shining. It would be bright [music] 24/7, making it really hard for us to sleep.

[00:11:42]You wouldn't be able to eat or drink anything, either.

[00:11:50]So, is there anywhere in the universe where we can live? Up to now, besides Earth, scientists still haven't found any planet that truly suitable for us to live on.

[00:12:05]Mars is the most promising planet for possibly building a home for humans in the future. Wow! It's much colder than Earth, but some areas have ice, which means we could extract water.

[00:12:21]Earth is still the best [music] place for us to live, isn't it, Professor?

[00:12:27]That's all for now. Stay tuned for our next exploration.

[00:12:32]>> [laughter] >> Discover everything around us on Wolfoo Explore Channel.