Carnivorous plants , usually insectivorous, are very varied and have different mechanisms to capture their prey. Some have sticky surfaces where the insect can get trapped. And others, like the popular Venus flytrap, have clamps that automatically close when prey lands on them.
An exception is Nepenthes rajah , from Borneo, the largest carnivorous plant in the world according to experts, equipped with a structure with enough capacity to store two liters of water. According to a new study by Charles Clarker, from Monash University in Malaysia, and published in the journal New Phytologist , this plant does not eat insects, nor does it eat shrews or rats as previously thought. Instead, it uses a tasty nectar to attract rodents , then gobbles up their droppings , which are probably the source of the nitrogen it needs.
The researchers suggest that since these types of plants grow in high areas (usually at altitudes ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 meters above sea level) where insects and other arthropods are scarce, they would have been forced to evolve and increase in size. to attract shrews.
