A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Came across this article while browsing on CPUK. Interesting to see that tree shrew sitting on the throne.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/sc...cher.html?_r=3

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Thanks for the link, BA. Interesting !

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Haha.... very environmental "friendly" toilet.. *biggrin2*

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Hahahahaha. Lowii really looks like a toilet bowl. An organic green toilet bowl for animals.

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Thinking of reading the original article. Maybe Ch'ien Lee can assist. Ahem! Ch'ien, you reading this thread?

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Aha! So not only birds then, but also other animals as well! Very "clever" these Lowii!

Thanks for Sharing Bactrus!

TTFN
Arvin

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Hahaha... interesting! Thanks BA for the link.

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Hmm, maybe I should introduce some shrews to my lowii x truncata :P . They might get eaten though...

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Haha... I think it's probably easier to get squirrel on that part of the world... *biggrin2*

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

That's probably why N. Lowii has so much white stuff under the lid of the pitcher. Nectar is not enough to attract mammals and birds.
They should research the effects of the white stuff. Maybe it actually has some sort of laxating quality to make sure that the shrews make their deposit *biggrin2*.

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Hi Bactris,

I'm glad you found the NYT article about our journal article on N. lowii interesting. The full details are as follows: Clarke CM, Bauer U, Lee CC, Tuen AA, Rembold K and Moran J. 2009 "Tree shrew lavatories: a novel nitrogen sequestration strategy in a tropical pitcher plant". The journal in which it is published is Biology Letters.

So far, the article has only been published online, and the only way you can download a pdf version is if you pay (which is expensive). When it is published in its print form, access will become easier and you can e-mail me for a reprint when this happens (about 6 weeks from now, I think).

I know this seems unnecessarily complicated, but that is how these journals make their money!

FYI, Ch'ien Lee has posted some really great photos of tree shrews on N. lowii pitchers on his website, which he took during our research expedition to Gunung Mulu this time last year.

Cheers,

Charles

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Ok, I found one of the pictures on this page in Ch'ien Lee's website. Cute little fella.

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Glad to have you with us, Dr. Charles. Your insights and research will contribute to the betterment of nepenthes cultivation for us all. TQ.

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Looking forward to the article. Thank you for the offer Dr Charles, really appreciate it. Hope it doesn't trouble you too much.

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

That lovely interaction.*biggrin2*

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

that's really a interesting news.
haha ,when we grow the N.lowii,we need breeding a animal *biggrin2*

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Tommi, you mean, when we grow the N.lowii, we ned to breed a animal which can be toilet trainned!

Re: A Plant That Thrives When Used as a Toilet
 

Hi,

the actual research paper is now on free access:

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.o...t/5/5/632.full

You have to see the video of a Tupaia apparently "using the toilet":

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.o.../632/suppl/DC1

download "supplementary video"

Cool stuff!