Chapter 1
A global family of copycats
Chapter 2
The mechanics of a slip and slide
Chapter 3
The ultimate animal roommates
Chapter 4
Humans and the meat-eating plants
Ch 3 · The ultimate animal roommates
alicecooks The plant's toilet-shaped aerial pitchers use buttery nectar to lure shrews, which defecate into the bowl and provide essential nutrients.
alicecooks Hardwicke's woolly bats pay nitrogen-rich guano rent to sleep inside pitcher plants
Fun Fact
Bat hotels: Hardwicke's woolly bats sleep inside pitcher plants to stay safe from predators and pay their rent with nitrogen-rich poop.
Glossary
symbiosis (noun)
A close, long-term biological interaction between two different organisms. In Borneo, woolly bats roost inside Nepenthes hemsleyana pitchers, exchanging nitrogen-rich droppings for secure shelter.
A close, long-term biological interaction between two different organisms. In Borneo, woolly bats roost inside Nepenthes hemsleyana pitchers, exchanging nitrogen-rich droppings for secure shelter.
Quiz
Which animal uses the pitcher plant Nepenthes lowii as a toilet in exchange for sweet nectar?
Quiz
What percentage of nitrogen does a mature Nepenthes lowii plant get from tree shrew feces?
Quiz
How does the pitcher plant Nepenthes hemsleyana help woolly bats find it in the dense jungle?
Quiz
What is the scientific name of the ant species that can swim and dive inside pitcher plant fluid?
Quiz
Where do Camponotus schmitzi ants build their nests on the fanged pitcher plant?
Quiz
Which insect lays its eggs exclusively inside the water-filled leaves of the purple pitcher plant?