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Post by Apoplast on Aug 5, 2011 18:02:49 GMT
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Post by paulbarden on Aug 5, 2011 18:07:51 GMT
I wonder if this was "staged". It seems like this is a great way to create news, especially when one actually owns the nursery. Yeah, call me a cynic....
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Post by marcel on Aug 5, 2011 19:31:53 GMT
I wonder if this was "staged". It seems like this is a great way to create news, especially when one actually owns the nursery. Yeah, call me a cynic.... OK, I'll call you a cynic ;D Seriously, Nigel has a good reputation and with several gold medals at the Chelsea flower show and others to boast about he doesn't need to fake his news. |
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Post by paulbarden on Aug 5, 2011 20:31:18 GMT
I apologize if my cynicism in any way cast doubt on the credibility of a reputable nurseryman; I meant it largely in jest, and so perhaps I should have best kept it to myself. That said, I am still a cynic :-)
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Post by peterhewitt on Aug 6, 2011 10:37:41 GMT
It continues to amaze me when this kind of thing happens, and we are surprised or find it noteworthy. We grow Carnivorous plants, this is what they evolved to be. Now it is certain that a large portion of the family of plants has target specific traps, But nepenthes have pitfall traps, why is it surprising when they trap a non targeted species? Or can we even be sure they are not targeted?
Hypothesis:
Nepenthes target Insects, which in turn attract Birds, Rats and other Species to the traps, which catch them in turn.
Sick people who use Gin traps, are always catching non targeted animals. A trap is a trap.
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Post by nepenthes99 on Aug 6, 2011 23:39:33 GMT
Actually it is not that rare for a Nepenthes in cultivation to catch a bird. The Nepenthes grown by Sam Estes catch birds about every six months.
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Post by Apoplast on Aug 7, 2011 4:41:22 GMT
I'm a bit surprised to hear this type of capture is all that common. It seems if it were common there would be more pictures available. Google image search showed only the photo from the article for "pitcher plant bird" search and none for "Nepenthes bird".
So, given there is little chance these traps have evolved specifically to capture birds and I have never seen a picture of this before - I choose to remain impressed.
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