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Rank: Advanced Member
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 Nepenthes Rajah: The Plant with an AppetiteNepenthes rajah is a carnivorous pitcher plant species endemic to Borneo. Its most distinctive features—giant urn-shaped traps, called pitchers, containing water and digestive fluid—allow it to catch and digest insects and even small vertebrates and mammals. These pitchers also host a number of organisms with which it is thought to form symbiotic relationships. Called nepenthebionts, many of these organisms are so specialized that they cannot survive anywhere else. What are some examples? More...
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Just read an article in the new National Geographic Magazine about meat eating plants. Amazing. This pitcher plant is the largest pitcher plant in the world. Since the NG article came out, its been discovered that this pitcher plant does not use disolved bugs as other carnivore plants, but dung! Usually from a shrew that lives in the same region.
Another interesting fact about carivore plants in general, they dont take nutrients from the bugs as an animal would. Protiens for muscle etc. They consume the bugs to create more cells to be used in photosynthesis (they are plants after all). Its what they need to do as they dont have all the sun-catching leaves other plants have. They need to amp up their ability to photosynthesise.
I think therefore I think I am
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That's funny Tyson. I just saw a BBC article yesterday about that very same thing. Apparently, the pitcher is shaped to perfectly lure shrews to eat its nectar and to collect its feces as it does so. Here is a link to the article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8552000/8552157.stm
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Is it just me, or does the picture that comes with this article make you think of Little Shop of Horrors?
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Geeman wrote:Is it just me, or does the picture that comes with this article make you think of Little Shop of Horrors? Yes, you're right Geeman. It looks just like Jack Nicholson.
I think therefore I think I am
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