2007 CE • Philippines
"A relatively recent discovery, [Nepenthes attenboroughii] was first described in 2007 by a team of botanists led by Stewart McPherson. It grows only on the slopes of Mount Victoria, on the Philippine island of Palawan . . . The species is famous for its huge bell-shaped pitchers, which can grow up to 30cm tall and are among the largest in the whole Nepenthes genus. They vary in colour and shape, but their upright lids mean they are always held open to the elements and so often fill right to the brim with fluid. In the wild they’ve been documented to trap and digest small mammals such as shrews. Because of its desirability among collectors, and due to its very restricted distribution, N. attenboroughii is critically endangered in the wild. It faces the threat of extinction from poaching."
"Nepenthes attenboroughii," Tom's Carnivores.
Image: Dr. Alastair Robinson, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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