The natural world is weirder than we imagined

For decades, botonists studying the giant montane pitcher plant of Borneo have thought it was a huge carnivorous plant that ate rodents. Remains of rodents were discovered in the plants' pitchers.

But more recent studies of nepenthes rajah have discovered that the plants *themselves* are not carnivores. Rather, they are used as toilets by tree shrews, which *are* meat-eaters.

The shrews have to orient their bodies in a particular way in order to reach a tasty nectar on the blooms of the pitcher plant, and they defecate into the pitcher, providing nutrients the plant needs in order to remain healthy.

The natural world is weirder than we imagined

For decades, botonists studying the giant montane pitcher plant of Borneo have thought it was a huge carnivorous plant that ate rodents. Remains of rodents were discovered in the plants' pitchers.

But more recent studies of nepenthes rajah have discovered that the plants *themselves* are not carnivores. Rather, they are used as toilets by tree shrews, which *are* meat-eaters.

The shrews have to orient their bodies in a particular way in order to reach a tasty nectar on the blooms of the pitcher plant, and they defecate into the pitcher, providing nutrients the plant needs in order to remain healthy.

Purple R/a/i/n/ Snow in Russia

Purple R/a/i/n/ Snow in Russia

A peek into summer

Via Bits & Pieces.


(We're due for snow and sleet on Sunday night. Spring break started about 8 hours ago. La dee da.)

A peek into summer

Via Bits & Pieces.


(We're due for snow and sleet on Sunday night. Spring break started about 8 hours ago. La dee da.)