Planet Earth is rich not only in amazing animals, but also in plants. Take, for example, a predatory pitcher plant called Nepentes Raja - it grows quite large and mainly feeds on insects or small rodents. However, some of its species grow in regions with a small number of insects, so they had to develop a rather unpleasant and humiliating way of feeding for them - they attract rodents to themselves and extract nutrients from their feces.
Scientists have always wondered why these plants produce so much nectar. More than one century has passed since the moment when people asked this question, and the supposed answer was found only now. It turned out that with the help of this nectar they attract wood shrews, which come to eat them and mark the territory with waste.
Unlike its relatives, this species of Nepentes Raja has a more solid structure and is able to withstand even large rodents. According to geneticist Chris Thorogood, the shape of the plants directly contributes to the capture of foreign objects, including water and fallen leaves. But special attention is still paid to rodent feces - scientists know that they are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, which are vital for carnivorous plants.
What happens between rodents and predatory plants is a win-win situation for both sides. It is noteworthy that this is not the only such case in nature - earlier researchers have already discovered a special species of plants that feeds on waste in a similar way, but already on bats.
Ramis Ganiev