The Nepenthes northiana is a carnivorous flesh-eating plant so large that it can swallow and devour rats whole. They are lured into its slipper-like mouth to drown or die of exhaustion before being slowly dissolved by digestive enzymes.
This plant eats rats, and anything else it can catch. It grows a leaf out that shapes itself into an open tube and fills itself with acid much like the human stomach. Its colors confuse insects as well as some rodents into thinking it is food itself. The rat falls in, and digestion begin
The plant, a member of the 'pitcher' family, grows more than 4ft long.
'Many pitcher plants trap not only insects, but also rodents including mice and rats, and The Nepenthes northianai - is certainly large enough to catch such big prey!'
The plants produce large 'pitchers' which are big, hollow, water-filled leaf structure. The plant then secrete nectar to attract insects and some rodents. The prey falls in and cannot escape back up the slippery, waxy interior of the trap.
these plants colourful to attract prey, especially insects, which they needed to survive.
'All pitcher plants are carnivorous plants. They need to acquire nutrients by trapping and digesting animals (mainly insects) because they grow in really hostile areas where nutrients are scarce in the soil,'
It is believed that there are around 600 species of pitcher plants.These plants are most familiar with the Venus flytrap. Even though they evolved so that they could catch insects, they still like to eat rats and mice every now and then.
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