Australia: Rat-eating plant discovered in Cape York

ABC ^ | 2008-01-22

[rabscuttle385]

A rare new species of plant that eats small rats has been discovered at the tip of Cape York.

Pitcher plants, otherwise known as flesh-eating plants, grow throughout Cape York but now a new, larger species that grows like a vine has been discovered.

The new species has been called "Tenax".

[rabscuttle385]

It eats small rats, not Rats, unfortunately. But it may just be the solution to a Democrat win in November...

[ECM]

Kucinich?

[Doogle]

...could use a few million of these plants in some urban areas of the US

[neodad]

Ted Kennedy could feed one for a year.

[lowbridge]

[Jeff Chandler]

That movie scared the carp out of me when I was a kid.

[RatsDawg]

You are being too kind. lol

[afortiori]

There's a similar plant that eats small squirrels...

It’s called the Huckabee.

[magslinger]

[pandoraou812]

hmmm Maybe we need some of these in Trenton!

[martin_fierro]

N. rajah is known to occasionally trap vertebrates and even small mammals. Drowned rats have been observed in the pitchers of N. rajah.[6] It is one of only two Nepenthes species documented as having caught mammalian prey in the wild, the other being N. rafflesiana. N. rajah is also known to occasionally trap other small vertebrates, including frogs, lizards and even birds, although these cases probably involve sick animals and certainly do not represent the norm. Insects, and particularly ants, comprise the majority of prey in both aerial and terrestrial pitchers.

[Beowulf9]

What’s it called? Texmex?

[Titan Magroyne]

They’re refusing to divulge the location of this new find for fear of unauthorized collectors. Some scientist should cross that sucker with kudzu; you could make a killing off of countryfied peeps like me, LOL. Non-poisonous rodent control that even disposes of the carcass before you have to smell it - who could ask for more???

[rlmorel]

Huh. I thought for sure it was like Heather Mills' Rat Milking Plant...

[pcottraux]

[ari-freedom]

In Communist Russia, plant eats you!

[weegee]

Is this vegan safe?

[RichInOC]

“Pinky, are you pondering what I’m pondering?”
“You first.”

[ARE SOLE]

[ChristianDefender]

...could use a few million of these plants in some urban areas of the US

LOL.. Beat me to it...somebody should organize a "feeding" program for these poor plants! :-)