March 29, 2009 - Some Rare and Unusual Florida Carnivores
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While we were in Florida, my friend Alan Knothe showed me several interesting insectivorous (insect eating) plants growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. These plants grow in Florida’s wetlands, especially in the Panhandle where 29 species have been found. The Venus Flytrap is a “one-of-a-kind” plant. Most plant groups include many species but there is only one species of Venus Flytrap. Not native to Florida, it is found in the coastal plains of North Carolina and NE South Carolina and was brought to Florida from there. When an insect brushes against the hairs of the plant the leaves snap shut and trap the insect. The plant has developed an ingenious way of deciding if the disturbance is actually from an insect or from some debris which has fallen on it. It waits until the hairs have been touched at least twice before it shuts. What’s more, the second touch can occur up to 40 seconds after the first one. After that time, the plant “resets” itself. If an insect has really come into the plant’s grasp, it would likely have moved within 40 seconds. This plant is considered an endangered species.
There are eight North American species of Sundew. Some have rounded leaves, like this one. Others have oval or long thin leaves. They have long red hairs growing from the upper side of the leaf. At the end of each hair is a drop of clear liquid which is described in our plant books as mucilage. That tells me it is very sticky. Insects are attracted by this liquid in two ways. One is the fragrance of the liquid and the other is the way it glistens in the sun. The glistening liquid is the basis for the name of the plant. When an insect touches the liquid it gets stuck. The struggling of the insect lets the plant know that it has some prey and the other hairs of the plant begin closing around the insect. The plant secretes more liquid and the insect drowns in it. I found it very interesting to read that this liquid contains not only enzymes to digest the insect but also an antibacterial agent. This prevents the “meat” from spoiling because the digestion process can take up to a week. When the digestion process is complete, all that remains is the exoskeleton of the insect. That blows away and the plant is ready for its next meal. Sundew is also found in the sphagnum bogs of northern Minnesota. We noted that this whole plant was only about the size of a nickel. The leaves lie flat on the ground to increase the chance that ants will be attracted to the plant.
There are eight North American species of Pitcher Plant. This one, the Parrot Pitcher Plant, is pretty common in the Florida Panhandle. Pitcher plant leaves form an open cup with a hood at the top. They produce nectar near the mouth of the hood and this attracts insects. The surface of the leaf near the mouth is slippery and some of the insects fall into the liquid stored in the cupped leaf. Downward pointing hairs on the inside of the leaf prevent the insects from crawling out. This plant, like the others above, grows in places with poor soil and a shortage of nitrogen. They have developed the ability to get the nitrogen they need from the insects that they eat.
Our friend, Robin Vroegop, is a volunteer with the Red Wolf Recovery Program. She works with the breeding wolf program on St. Vincent’s Island which is near the place where we stay in Florida. She invited me out to the island to take wolf photos to use for publicity purposes. I was delighted to be able to help. This is a first-year female Red Wolf. She had been captured in order to be fitted with a radio tracking collar and to check on her health. Her mother has produced a litter of four pups each year for the last several years. The other three pups from this litter, all males, were taken to North Carolina to be released into the wild. This female will stay on the island to become part of the next generation of breeding wolves. The Red Wolf is on the endangered species list. To read more about the Red Wolf Recovery Program, click on this link. http://www.fws.gov/redwolf/
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