Which carnivorous plants grow in the rainforest?
Although it is very humid in the rainforest, there is not much sun in the lower regions. However, some carnivorous plants also grow here. The most famous carnivore from the rainforest is the Pitcher plant (Nepenthes).
also read
- Large carnivorous plants
- Hibernate carnivorous plants indoors
- Do carnivorous plants help against flies?
It occurs mainly in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, but some species have also been discovered on Borneo.
Obviously the pitcher plant needs less sun in the wild than other carnivorous plants.
Pitcher plants come in over 100 species
Over 100 different types of pitcher plant have now been found. Since the rainforests are far from being fully explored, there should be a few more.
The pitcher plants wind their long shoots up the trees with the leaves. They develop bulbous jugs that actually look like pitchers. They exude an aromatic and sometimes putrid scent that attracts prey. The top of the pitcher is as smooth as a mirror, so that no insect can hold on to it, but instead slides into the trap.
In the lower part of the jug there is a liquid that is used for the digestion the captured prey.
Some pitcher plants even eat mammals
Pitcher plants mainly feed on insects such as mosquitoes, flies and everything that occurs in the rainforest.
There is even one giant pitcher plant speciesthat forms jugs so large that they can also use them to catch rats and croissants. This variety is called “Nepenthes Rajah”. Your safety gears can be up to 80 centimeters long. Of course, it takes a long time for animals of this size to be digested.
Pitcher plants that you use as an ornamental plant maintain, of course, won't be that big. So there is no danger for pets from carnivorous plants.
Tips
There is only one small animal species in the rainforest that does not become prey for a pitcher plant: a special species of ants. The ants can even run through the digestive fluids. To do this, they keep the edges of the jugs nice and smooth.
