Rat eating plant discovered in the Phillipines

Tollbooth Willie

Tollbooth Willie

The Freeman
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6041241/Rat-eating-plant-discovered-in-Philippines.html

More like Victreebell amirite?
The plant is among the largest of all pitchers and is believed to be the largest meat-eating shrub, dissolving rats with acid-like enzymes.

The team of botanists, led by British experts Stewart McPherson and Alastair Robinson, found the plant on Mount Victoria in the Philippines.

They were inspired to search for the plant after word that it is existed came from two Christian missionaries who described seeing a large carnivorous pitcher in 2000 after they climbed the mountain.

Mr McPherson, of Poole Dorset, said: "The plant produces spectacular traps which catch not only insects, but also rodents. It is remarkable that it remained undiscovered until the 21st century."

The team, which found the plant in 2007 following a two-month expedition, published details of their discovery in the Botanical Journal of Linnean Society earlier this year following a three-year study of all 120 species of pitcher plant.

They decided to name the plant Nepenthes attenboroughii, after the wildlife broadcaster Sir David.

"My team and I named it in honour of Sir David whose work has inspired generations toward a better understanding of the beauty and diversity of the natural world," added Mr McPherson.

Sir David, 83, said: "I was contacted by the team shortly after the discovery and they asked if they could name it after me. I was delighted and told them, 'Thank you very much'.

"I'm absolutely flattered. This is a remarkable species the largest of its kind. I'm told it can catch rats then eat them with its digestive enzymes. It's certainly capable of that."
Click to expand...
 
It's a mean green mother, from outer space.
 
I could do with one of these to deal with my lawyer.
Hi-ohhhhhhh!
Ha Ha, good one Christopher.
 
BELLSHPROUT HAS EVOLVED.

To dissolve a mouse / rat it would need some seriously strong digestive juices, such an angry plant geez.
 
Of course you all go mention Pokemans. Goddammit.

One of you stick their finger in there and touch the liquid inside. I'll give you five bucks.
 
I don't see what the big deal is, rats eat plants all the time? Why is this one so special?
 
rat-plant_1463666f.jpg


I didn't even see the rat until you mentioned it
 
This really makes you think about what it is that truly separates us from the life around us.
 
I was half paying attention to the thread title when I clicked this, and was having a nice conversation on facebook. I looked down at my taskbar a few minutes later and it said "Rat eating plant disco..."

I lold.

Course I do have a horrible sense of humor.
 
Completely unsurprised that some kind of crazy mutant plant would come from there.
 
Shit I had a holographic Victreebel a long ass time ago. I want it again.
 
I so want to grow one myself and feed until it becomes ginormous. Then I could feed it people. :frog:
 
Has anyone here been to California Carnivores (Sebastapol, I think). They have some particularly large specimens in the back of the nursery that could probably take an adult mouse.
 
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