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Eggs laid in pitchers?

Hey,

I recently checked up on my Nepenthes 'Gentle' to find that some of it's larger pitchers had treefrog eggs in them!

I am sure this will provide as good food, but has anyone else have had this sort of situation happen to them or something weird and unexpected?
 
Come on, I know some of you have found SOMETHING weird in your pitchers from time to time.
 
wow thats awesome i wish mine would do that.
 
Spiderweb (with spider included)!
smile_n_32.gif
 
Yeah, I have spiderwebs in some of my purpureas, it makes sense for a spider to funnel a web in a pitcher as it can mooch off the luring technique of the pitcher and benefit from it, greatly.
 
a finger...
 
no one knows.. there have been several missing children around these parts....

let's keep this between us.. don't want the coppers to get suspicious
 
  • #10
A Slug is about my most odd find in a pitcher for me.

I only noticed as I saw its slimy trail on the pitcher.

Aaron.
 
  • #11
There is a species of Treefrog in asia which does lay it's eggs exclusively in Nepenthes pitchers (the tadpoles become frogs in the egg and are never free swimming). But that's neat none the less! Keep an eye on it and maybe show us some pics!
 
  • #12
I have been pondering this one for day.....as I did not want to sound dumb, but I was wondering if the eggs would get digested or if they would go through their normal metaphases. If I had to guess, I would guess digested, as I had heard about what Josh mentioned, but I was thinking that was probably a specialized manuever by that frog. The enzyme activity can't be too harsh on this nep, or the female frog would have felt it when she was laying the eggs. I know I would holler if I sat in my pool and acid starting eating at my...well, you know.

>;-D

Cheers,

Joe
 
  • #13
Frog eggs? Neet! I have a funnel web spide living in one of my neps. The funnel, naturally, is in one of the pitchers. I think this is actually beneficial, as the plant most likely gets some nutrients from the spider's droppings.
 
  • #14
Well, I will get my camera working.

The eggs are being damaged, this, I can see. Some have compacted to nothing more than the clear remains of something living.

My 'Gentle' has had a lot of odd occurance, since it's on a porch, I am not sure how it's caught a bufo americanus(american toad). The frog was not completely digested but it was without a doubt, an interesting sight. The pitcher died soon after as it was one of my leaning elders, almost horizontal due tendril curl into a loop.

I found the female and four other adult Lesser Grey Treefrogs(the culprit species of this oddity) and well, I don't know. Something is weird.
 
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