This plant’s favorite food is shrew poo

Bet you didn’t know carnivorous plants ate this. [View this email in your browser]( [73ed94ee-f881-4ea1-8e1f-44f98483021c.png]( July 24, 2024 Wild Life That Plant Eats What? Hello! My name is Cara Giaimo, and I’m the co-author of the new book [Atlas Obscura: Wild Life](. I’m taking over the newsletter this week to introduce you to some underappreciated wild gourmands: carnivorous plants. You’re probably familiar with the Venus flytrap. But there are at least 600 types of carnivorous plants in the world. To make up for the nutrient-poor areas where they grow, they eat tons of different things in tons of different ways. Some, like the cape sundew, catch insects in their sticky tentacles, rolling them up like a bug burrito. Others, like bladderwort, slurp up microscopic worms that live underground. And large pitcher plants digest entire rats that fall into their Big Gulp–sized cups. Some even go beyond carnivory. My favorite carnivorous plant is pictured in the photo at the top, under the shrew. It’s called a Low’s pitcher plant, and the lip of its pitcher is lined with sweet, sticky, shrew-attracting nectar. To reach the nectar, a shrew must squat right over the pitcher, and then—well, a predictable reaction ensues. But the plant benefits from being a toilet: shrew poo provides over half the nitrogen it needs to survive. That’s true locavore creativity! Below, find a few other creatures with innovative eating habits. For even more, [preorder the book today](. [PREORDER NOW]( [Chimpanzee Utensils]( [Chimpanzees in the Goualougo Triangle fish termites out of the ground with special utensils they shape from sticks and stems. Mom chimps pass down their best tools to their offspring.]( [Firehawk Barbecues]( [In Australia, black kites help spread bushfires by carrying burning sticks to new locations. Then they chase down animals running from the flames—or eat the barbecue left behind.]( [Beetle Water Aerobics]( [Beetles in the Namib Desert climb the dunes at night and do headstands. Delicious condensed fog drips down special grooves in their shells and right into their mouths.]( [A Walk On the Wild Side]( [Atlas Obscura Takes On the Natural World]( [Have you preordered your copy of Atlas Obscura: Wild Life yet? Don’t miss out—join a select group of insiders by preordering the book today and get ready to enter the wild, wonderful world within its pages. You’ll come face-to-face with majestic spirit bears, learn honeyguide etiquette, immerse yourself in the fierce world of Japanese rhinoceros beetles, and more. Don’t miss out!]( [Bonus: Special Preorder Offer Within →]( [Add a place to the Atlas]( [Subscribe to our other newsletters]( [The definitive guide to the world's hidden wonders.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Visit AtlasObscura.com]( · [View in Browser]( · [Unsubscribe]( · [See All Newsletters]( 61 Greenpoint Ave #210, Brooklyn, NY 11222 Copyright © 2024 Atlas Obscura Inc., All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you once requested to be included on the Gastro Obscura Newsletter mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time. Our mailing address is: Atlas Obscura Inc. 61 Greenpoint Ave #210Brooklyn, NY 11222 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.