Move over Venus Flytrap, a giant rodent-eating plant has been discovered in the Philippines!  Botanists discovered the new species of pitcher plant in a remote area of central Philippines.   Besides insects, the plant is so big it can even trap unsuspecting rodents and other small critters that get too close.  Catching its prey, the plant closes the tube around the animal, trapping them.

In 2000, several Christian missionaries got lost for nearly two weeks while trying to climb Mount Victoria in the Philippines.  During their “adventure”, they spotted the huge plant.  Stewart R. McPherson, Alastair S. Robinson and Volker B. Heinrich, all pitcher plant experts, heard the news of the possible sighting and in 2007, the threesome and several guides, traveled to the remote location hoping to find the carnivorous plant.

According to the BBC, McPherson said, “At around 1,600 metres above sea level, we suddenly saw one great pitcher plant, then a second, then many more. It was immediately apparent that the plant we had found was not a known species.”

The plant, Nepenthes attenboroughii, is named after Sir David Attenborough, the famous broadcaster, filmmaker and naturalist.  Along with a pitcher plant that had not been seen in the wild for 100 years, the group also spotted several other unknown plants during their expedition.

A spectacular new species of Nepenthes L. (Nepenthaceae) pitcher plant from central Palawan, Philippines was published in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society  and includes drawings and additional photographs.

Source: GO Media - Written by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway - Photos courtesy of Alastair Robinson via Creative Commons