Giant Plant Eats Rodents

djmb74 · 08-20-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Giant Plant Eats Rodents
Tuan C. Nguyen
LiveScience Staff Writer
LiveScience.com tuan C. Nguyen
livescience Staff Writer
livescience.com 2 hrs 13 mins ago

A giant plant that can gobble up bugs and even rodents has been discovered in Southeast Asia.

The carnivorous plant (nepenthes attenboroughii) was found by researchers atop Mt. Victoria, a remote mountain in Palawan, Philippines. The research team, led by Stewart McPherson of Red Fern Natural History Productions, had learned of the plant in 2000 after a group of Christian missionaries stumbled upon it while trekking up a remote mountain and reported it to a local newspaper.

The discovery, announced last week, was detailed in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.

The pitcher plant is the world's second largest and can grow to more than 4 feet tall, with a pitcher-shaped structure filled with liquid. The plant secretes nectar around its mouth to lure rats, insects and other prey into its trap. Once an animal has fallen in, enzymes and acids in the fluid break down the carcass of the drowned victim.

"All carnivorous plants have evolved to catch insects but the biggest ones, such as this one, can eat rats and frogs," McPherson told LiveScience. "It's truly remarkable that a plant this big has been undiscovered for so long."

The world's largest pitcher plant (nepenthes rajah) was discovered in 1858 by British naturalist Hugh Low in Borneo. The plant's rat-eating habit was confirmed four years later when his colleague Spenser St. John found a drowned rat inside one of the specimens.

Though some have approached McPherson to ask about the likelihood of cultivating the monster plants as mouse traps for rodent-infested regions like New York City, the botanist (who also happens to specialize in pitcher plants) says he finds the idea "a bit far-fetched."

"Mice and rats are attracted to the sweet nectar of the plant, but it only catches them occasionally," says McPherson. "It just isn't practical. There will be too many mice for the plant to catch anyways."

Giant Plant Eats Rodents - Yahoo! News

LilRaverBoi · 08-20-2009, 01:54 PM

Wow that's crazy. Do you have any pictures? I'm interested to see what this looks like (though probably just looks like a pitcher plant on steroids LOL). So what's next?...a venus fly trap that feeds on small children?

momoese · 08-20-2009, 03:45 PM

Super cool!

musaboru · 08-21-2009, 11:24 PM

I am reminded of cockroach egg cases. *shivers* XD

Kim · 08-22-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilRaverBoi

Wow that's crazy..... So what's next?...a venus fly trap that feeds on small children?

With the addition of adults, I thought it existed already called Governmentis Tetinitis.

Jack Daw · 08-22-2009, 05:27 PM

We've had Nepenthes in one of our Tropical Gardens here, it ate 13 tropical birds that were supposed to revitalize garden (1500€). From then on, there's never been a Nepenthes in our tropical greenhouses.

LilRaverBoi · 08-22-2009, 07:24 PM

Wow...crazy! What are Governmentis Tetinitis, Kim? I can't find any information on it.

Jack Daw · 08-23-2009, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilRaverBoi

Wow...crazy! What are Governmentis Tetinitis, Kim? I can't find any information on it.

US Government.

Bob · 08-23-2009, 07:09 AM

From wikipedia:

The Madagascar tree
The earliest well known report of a man-eating tree originated as a hoax. In 1881 German explorer "Carl Liche" wrote an account in the South Australian Register of encountering a sacrifice performed by the "Mkodo" tribe of Madagascar:[3]

"The slender delicate palpi, with the fury of starved serpents, quivered a moment over her head, then as if instinct with demoniac intelligence fastened upon her in sudden coils round and round her neck and arms; then while her awful screams and yet more awful laughter rose wildly to be instantly strangled down again into a gurgling moan, the tendrils one after another, like great green serpents, with brutal energy and infernal rapidity, rose, retracted themselves, and wrapped her about in fold after fold, ever tightening with cruel swiftness and savage tenacity of anacondas fastening upon their prey."[4]

The tree was given further publicity by the 1924 book by former Governor of Michigan Chase Osborn, Madagascar, Land of the Man-eating Tree.[5] Osborn claimed that both the tribes and missionaries on Madagascar knew about the hideous tree, and also repeated the above Liche account.

Depiction of a native being consumed by a Ya-te-veo ("I see you") carnivorous tree of Central America, from Land and Sea by J.W. Buel, 1887.In his 1955 book, Salamanders and other Wonders,[6] science author Willy Ley determined that the Mkodo tribe, Carle Liche, and the Madagascar man-eating tree itself all appeared to be fabrications.

[edit] Ya-te-veo
The Ya-te-veo ("I see you") is a carnivorous plant said to grow in parts of Central and South America with cousins in Africa and on the shores of the Indian Ocean. There are many different descriptions of the plant, but most reports say it has a short, thick trunk and long tendrils of some sort which are used to catch prey. In J.W. Buel's Land and Sea (1887), the plant is said to catch and consume large insects, but also attempts to consume humans. As with most reports of man-eating trees, the Ya-te-veo is most likely an exaggerated story of an actual species of carnivorous plant, similar to those already known to science.

[edit] Duñak
The Duñak is a carnivorous tree described in tribal tales from the Philippines and other areas of South-East Asia.[citation needed] It is said to resemble a monsoonal tree with very thick foliage and dark bark, occasionally said to have a reddish hue. It does not appear abnormal until a large animal walks under its branches, at which point barbed vines extend down from the tree to wrap themselves around the animal. The animal is then lifted up into the foliage, crushed to death, and consumed. It is said to have occasionally taken humans, but mostly does not prey on anything larger than deer and other ungulates native to the region. Some cryptophytologists believe the Duñak to actually be one of the larger members of Drosera, although would most probably not take prey larger than frogs and small mammals. Others believe the fanciful tales merely describe the hunting habits of one of the species of python native to the area.

LilRaverBoi · 08-23-2009, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Daw

US Government.

LOL...I was afraid that was meant to be a joke that I was too dense to understand. Guess that was indeed the case!

gadget · 08-23-2009, 01:51 PM

YouTube - RAT EATING PLANT FOUND (long version)

08-20-2009, 01:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 120,725 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: Giant Plant Eats Rodents Wow that's crazy. Do you have any pictures? I'm interested to see what this looks like (though probably just looks like a pitcher plant on steroids LOL). So what's next?...a venus fly trap that feeds on small children? __________________ BANANA RAVE! Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top! lilraverboi@genxglow.com RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you! I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

08-20-2009, 03:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,590 BananaBucks : 495 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,754 Times Was Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 729 Times	Re: Giant Plant Eats Rodents Super cool!

08-21-2009, 11:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
musaboru musaboru 's Photo Gallery Location: Ontario, Calif. Zone: 9b Name: Dar Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 193 BananaBucks : 89,940 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 328 Times Was Thanked 262 Times in 105 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: Giant Plant Eats Rodents I am reminded of cockroach egg cases. shivers XD

08-22-2009, 05:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jack Daw I think with my banana ;) Jack Daw's Photo Gallery Location: BA, SK, CEU Find me on the map! Zone: Dfa (Köppen-geiger) <-> 7b/8a? (USDA) Name: Jack Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 3,525 BananaBucks : 214,990 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,771 Times Was Thanked 2,461 Times in 1,355 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 383 Times	Re: Giant Plant Eats Rodents We've had Nepenthes in one of our Tropical Gardens here, it ate 13 tropical birds that were supposed to revitalize garden (1500€). From then on, there's never been a Nepenthes in our tropical greenhouses. __________________ Thnx to Marcel, Ante, Dr. Chiranjit Parmar and *Francesco* for the plants I've received. Zeitgeist - Corporatocracy 101 (~2hrs) Zeitgeist - Moving Forward (~2.5hrs)

08-22-2009, 07:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
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08-23-2009, 07:09 AM	#9 (permalink)
Bob Orang Puteh Bob's Photo Gallery Location: Washington Twp N.J. Find me on the map! Zone: 6a Name: bob Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,528 BananaBucks : 210,719 Feedback: 12 / 100% Said "Thanks" 9,537 Times Was Thanked 4,058 Times in 1,694 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 565 Times	Re: Giant Plant Eats Rodents From wikipedia: The Madagascar tree The earliest well known report of a man-eating tree originated as a hoax. In 1881 German explorer "Carl Liche" wrote an account in the South Australian Register of encountering a sacrifice performed by the "Mkodo" tribe of Madagascar:[3] "The slender delicate palpi, with the fury of starved serpents, quivered a moment over her head, then as if instinct with demoniac intelligence fastened upon her in sudden coils round and round her neck and arms; then while her awful screams and yet more awful laughter rose wildly to be instantly strangled down again into a gurgling moan, the tendrils one after another, like great green serpents, with brutal energy and infernal rapidity, rose, retracted themselves, and wrapped her about in fold after fold, ever tightening with cruel swiftness and savage tenacity of anacondas fastening upon their prey."[4] The tree was given further publicity by the 1924 book by former Governor of Michigan Chase Osborn, Madagascar, Land of the Man-eating Tree.[5] Osborn claimed that both the tribes and missionaries on Madagascar knew about the hideous tree, and also repeated the above Liche account. Depiction of a native being consumed by a Ya-te-veo ("I see you") carnivorous tree of Central America, from Land and Sea by J.W. Buel, 1887.In his 1955 book, Salamanders and other Wonders,[6] science author Willy Ley determined that the Mkodo tribe, Carle Liche, and the Madagascar man-eating tree itself all appeared to be fabrications. [edit] Ya-te-veo The Ya-te-veo ("I see you") is a carnivorous plant said to grow in parts of Central and South America with cousins in Africa and on the shores of the Indian Ocean. There are many different descriptions of the plant, but most reports say it has a short, thick trunk and long tendrils of some sort which are used to catch prey. In J.W. Buel's Land and Sea (1887), the plant is said to catch and consume large insects, but also attempts to consume humans. As with most reports of man-eating trees, the Ya-te-veo is most likely an exaggerated story of an actual species of carnivorous plant, similar to those already known to science. [edit] Duñak The Duñak is a carnivorous tree described in tribal tales from the Philippines and other areas of South-East Asia.[citation needed] It is said to resemble a monsoonal tree with very thick foliage and dark bark, occasionally said to have a reddish hue. It does not appear abnormal until a large animal walks under its branches, at which point barbed vines extend down from the tree to wrap themselves around the animal. The animal is then lifted up into the foliage, crushed to death, and consumed. It is said to have occasionally taken humans, but mostly does not prey on anything larger than deer and other ungulates native to the region. Some cryptophytologists believe the Duñak to actually be one of the larger members of Drosera, although would most probably not take prey larger than frogs and small mammals. Others believe the fanciful tales merely describe the hunting habits of one of the species of python native to the area. __________________ Last edited by Bob : 08-23-2009 at 07:15 AM.

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