Little do they know it, but these six creatures are each about to experience a very unusual death. One-by-one, they will fall prey to the remarkable, predatory antics of... a carnivorous plant.
Ne znaju šta im se sprema, ali ovih šest stvorenja upravo će doživeti vrlo neobičnu smrt. Jedan po jedan, postaće plen izvanrednih lukavih predatora... biljaka mesožderki.
Around the world there are more than 600 plant species that supplement a regular diet of sunlight, water, and soil with insects, microbes, or even frogs and rats. Scientists believe that carnivory in plants evolved separately at least six times on our planet, suggesting that this flesh-munching adaptation holds a major benefit for plants. Carnivorous plants tend to grow in places with highly acidic soil, which is poor in crucial nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In these hostile conditions, plants that are able to lure, trap, and digest prey have an advantage over those that rely on soil for their nutrients.
Širom sveta postoji više od 600 vrsta biljaka koje redovnu ishranu sunčevom svetlošću, vodom i zemljom dopunjuju insektima, mikrobima, pa čak i žabama i pacovima. Naučnici smatraju da se mesožderstvo kod biljaka odvojeno razvilo bar šest puta na našoj planeti, što ukazuje da ovo prilagođavanje na proždiranje mesa predstavlja veliku korist za biljke. Biljke mesožderke obično rastu na mestima sa veoma kiselim zemljištem, koje je siromašno ključnim hranljivim sastojcima kao što su azot, fosfor i kalijum. U ovim neprijateljskim uslovima, biljke koje su u stanju da namame, zarobe i svare plen imaju prednost nad onima koje se oslanjaju na tlo da bi dobile hranljive materije.
Take this inhospitable bog, where pitcher plants reign supreme. Drawn to the pitcher’s vivid colors and alluring scent, the fly closes in and slurps its nectar. But this pitcher species has an ingredient called coniine in its nectar, a powerful narcotic to insects. As the coniine takes effect, the fly grows sluggish, stumbles, and falls down the funnel into a pool of liquid at the base, where he drowns. Enzymes and bacteria in the liquid slowly break his body down into microscopic particles the pitcher plant can consume through its leaves. Occasionally, larger prey also tumbles into the fatal funnel of the pitcher plant.
Uzmite za primer ovu negostoljubivu močvaru, gde su biljke vrčevci vrhovni vladari. Privučena živopisnim bojama i privlačnim mirisom vrča, mušica uđe unutra i posrče nektar. Ali ova vrsta vrčevca u svom nektaru ima sastojak zvani konin, snažan narkotik za insekte. Kako konin ostvaruje dejstvo, muva postaje troma, spotiče se i pada niz levak u bazen tečnosti na dnu, gde se udavi. Enzimi i bakterije u tečnosti polako razlože njeno telo na mikroskopske čestice koje vrčevac može da potroši kroz svoje listove. Povremeno, veći plen takođe upadne u kobni levak vrčevca. Druga žrtva se suočava sa lepljivom rosuljom.
The second victim faces off with the sticky sundew plant. The sundew’s tiny leaves are equipped with a viscous secretion called mucilage. The ant is swiftly trapped in this goo. As she struggles, enzymes begin to digest her body. Special tentacles sense her movement and curl around her, clenching her in their suffocating grip. Once she asphyxiates, which can happen in under an hour, the tentacles unfurl again to snare their next victim.
Sićušni listovi rosulje su opremljeni gustim sekretom zvanim biljni lepak. Mrav se brzo zarobi u ovom lepku. Dok se bori, enzimi počinju da vare njegovo telo. Specijalni pipci osete pokrete i uvijaju se oko njega, stiskajući ga tako da guše. Kada se uguši, što se može desiti za manje od jednog sata, pipci se ponovo rašire kako bi uhvatili sledeću žrtvu.
Two down, four to go. The next target meets his end underground, in the coils of the corkscrew plant. He enters the roots through a tiny slit in search of food. But inside, he quickly loses his way through the tangled labyrinth. A forest of curved hairs prevents his escape, guiding him into a central chamber with flesh-digesting enzymes and deadly low levels of oxygen.
Dva su uhvaćena, ostala su četiri. Sledeća meta se suočava sa svojim krajem pod zemljom, u zavojnicama biljke vadičep. Ulazi u korene kroz mali prorez u potrazi za hranom, ali se unutra brzo izgubi kroz zamršeni lavirint. Šuma zakrivljenih dlačica sprečava njegovo bekstvo i vodi ga u centralnu komoru sa enzimima koji razlažu meso i smrtonosno niskim nivoom kiseonika.
In the murky depths of a nearby pond, a tadpole unwittingly swims into the path of the bladderwort, the speediest of all carnivorous plants. She treads on the bladderwort’s trigger, and in milliseconds, a trapdoor swings open and sucks her in. Trapped half in and half out, she struggles to free herself while the part of her body inside the plant gets digested. Over the next few hours, her writhing sets the trap off repeatedly, each time bringing her deeper into the plant to be digested alive bit by bit.
U mračnim dubinama obližnjeg jezera, punoglavac se plivajući nesvesno nađe na putu mešinke, najbrže od svih biljaka mesožderki. Nagazi na mešinkin mamac i u roku od nekoliko milisekundi, poklopac se otvara i usisava ga unutra. Zarobljen napola unutra, bori se da se oslobodi dok biljka vari njegov deo koji je unutar nje. Tokom narednih nekoliko sati, njegovo previjanje iznova pokreće zamku, pri čemu ga svaki put ubacuje dublje u biljku koja ga svari živog komad po komad.
Meanwhile, this beetle is bewitched by sweet-smelling nectar. The scent draws him closer and closer until he lands on the leaves of the world’s most infamous carnivorous plant. His landing triggers tiny hairs on the surface of the leaves, and the jaws of the venus fly trap snap shut around him. The spikes interlock to seal his fate. Once closed, the leaves act like an external stomach that digests the beetle’s soft tissues. When they open again a few days later, only the dry husk of his exoskeleton remains.
U međuvremenu, ova buba je začarana mirisom nektara. Miris je privlači sve bliže i bliže dok ne sleti na lišće najozloglašenije biljke mesožderke na svetu. Njeno sletanje aktivira sitne dlake na površini lišća i čeljusti Venerine muholovke se zatvaraju oko njega. Šiljci se ukrste da bi zapečatili njenu sudbinu. Kada se zatvori, lišće funkcioniše kao spoljašnji stomak koji vari meko tkivo bube. Kada se ponovo otvori nekoliko dana kasnije, ostaje samo suva ljuštura njegovog egzoskeleta.
The mayfly is the last creature standing. As she approaches the butterwort plant, she heads for the flowers that wave high above the plant’s globs of adhesive goo. She alights on the petals, drinks the nectar, and takes off unscathed. These long flower stalks keep certain insects away from the carnivore’s traps— a way of separating pollinators from food. Off the mayfly buzzes to live a long and fruitful life– oh.
Vodeni cvet je jedini preostali stvor. Dok se približava biljci masnici, kreće prema cvetovima koji se talasaju visoko iznad lepljive smese biljke. Spušta se na latice, pije nektar i odlazi netaknut. Ove duge cvetne stabljike čuvaju neke insekte podalje od zamki mesožderki, što je način za odvajanje oprašivača od hrane. Vodeni cvet je odzujao da živi dug i plodan život - oh.