As the saying goes, there are birds in the forest, so how much do you know about the plants that hunt animals? What we are going to introduce to you today is the world's most terrifying plant, the giant Nepenthes, without further ado.
Discovery of the giant Nepenthes
In 2000, when two Christian missionaries in the Philippines went to explore the summit of Mount Victoria in central Palawan, philippines, they stumbled upon a new species of Nepenthes. When they made the news public, they aroused the interest of botanists, so they organized a team of experts to explore it. In the Victorian lowland forests, they found a large area of the previously discovered Nepenthes philippines species.
Why does Nepenthes giant hunt animals?
We all know that the animal world has always had the principle of the weak and the strong, so why should plants also participate in the hunting of animals? This has to start from its growing environment.
Nepenthes grows mainly in clearings in forests or shrub forests where humidity and temperature are very high. The nitrogen they need to survive is lacking there, and the giant Nepenthes is so large that the demand for nitrogen is greater. In order to survive, more nitrogen was needed, and Nepenthes had to evolve this predatory ability. So they mainly rely on nitrogen and nutrients from rotting prey carcasses.
How does Nepenthes giant hunt?
The leaves of Nepenthes hang a very bottle-like capsule, narrow on the top and wide on the bottom, and the inner wall secretes a lot of waxy, unusually smooth, with an opening at the upper end and a lid at the opening. When ripe, the lid can be opened and the opening secretes a colorless, transparent, fragrant acidic digestive juice that attracts foraging animals. After the animal is smoked, it will have a toxic reaction, so that it falls into the capsule and then it will cover the lid. The animals will never come out again, and soon the animals will be decomposed by the digestive fluid of Nepenthes and will have a beautiful meal on their own.
PS: Do you think " Nepenthes " can eat people? Welcome to leave a message to discuss.