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This page will answer questions about the site design, who I am, and of course Carnivorous Plants. Please use the Table of Contents to navigate since these pages can get long.
The Question Catagories
Terrarium Questions
Venus Fly Trap
Sundew
American Pitcher Plant
Tropical Pitcher
Butterwort
Sun Pitcher
Cobra Lily
Australian Pitcher
Other Carnivorous Plants
General Carnivorous Plant Questions
About Me
About the Site
Terrarium Questions
How big is your terrarium?
How much does it cost to make a terrarium for a few small plants?
How big is your terrarium?
I have three terrariums right now. My largest is big enough that I can climb inside! It is made out of a 75 gallon terrarium. It is 4 feet long, 1.5 feet wide and 20 inches tall. I have another terrarium that is made out of a tall, but thin aquarium to hold my Nepenthes (I just made this a few days ago). My last one is made from a small 10 gallon fish tank. I have put three inches of soil in the bottom of that one and planted tropical Sundews in it.
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How much does it cost to make a terrarium for a few small plants?
I have instructions here for making a terrarium that only costs a few dollars. This is made with deep plastic watering dishes tied together with air holes in the top one. This type of terrarium needs to be placed where it will get lots of light, but remember to take the lid off in direct sun so that you don't overheat your plants.
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Venus Fly Trap
Can a Venus Fly Trap bite my finger?
If I make my traps close without feeding it, will my plant die?
Can a Venus Fly Trap bite my finger?
Yes...and no. It will close on your figure, but you will be able to get it out. The Fly Trap does not have what we would call teeth (the spines are called 'teeth', but they are not sharp) and the plant does not start to make acids and enzymes for a period of time after the trap closes. All that being said, it is not good for your plant to put your finger in there.
In case you are curious, if you drop a piece of skin in there, the Fly Trap can eat it, but it takes a long, long time.
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If I make my traps close without feeding it, will my plant die?
It takes a lot of energy for the plant to close, but once or twice will not hurt the plant if it is healthy. You should not cause your plant to close a trap without feeding it because each trap can only open and close a certain number of times. This number depends on how healthy the plant is.
If you really like to watch the plant close, find an insect and drop it in. Make sure the insect is still alive because the plant will open back up without eating if nothing is struggling to get out.
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Sundew
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American Pitcher Plant
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Tropical Pitcher Plant
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Butterwort
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Sun Pitcher
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Cobra Lily
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Australian Pitcher Plant
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Other Carnivorous Plants
Arn't there Carnivorous Plants not mentioned on this site?
Do you have other Carnivorous Plants?
Arn't there Carnivorous Plants not mentioned on this site?
Yes, there is a large class of Carnivorous Plants called Bladderworts that I did not talk about on this site. I was originally going to include them, but I do not have any Bladderworts, so I didn't talk about them. In case you have heard, the Bladderworts live mostly in the water, but some live on ground.
In addtion to the Bladderworts, there is another water Carnivorous Plant called the Waterwheel Plant, or Aldrovanda. In addion, there are also a few Bromeliads that are carnivorous, a plant called the Corkscrew Plant, the Dewy Pine, and the Rainbow Plant.
In addition to these, there is one plant that reported eats insects only during one stage of it's life: Triphyophyllum. There is also the Devil's Claw that is not truely carnivorous, but it certainly catches enough insects, not to mention the poor little furry animals that get caught inside of it!
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Do you have other Carnivorous Plants?
I have a Corkscrew plant. This plant has normal looking leaves, but very special 'roots'. An ordinary plant has roots to get nutrients out of the soil, well, this plant does that too, but it's nutrients are still alive! It has little holes that suck in small creatures living in the soil. Some hairs prevent the lunch from getting out, and then as the plant continues to have suction like a vacuum, it eventually pulls the creature up into a sort of 'stomach' that is full of enzymes to digest the bug.
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General Carnivorous Plant Questions
What is the biggest thing ever eaten by a Carnivorous Plant?
What is the biggest thing ever eaten by a Carnivorous Plant?
The Nepenthes pitchers are very large on some species, and they can eat whatever gets into them. The biggest thing known to date are small mammals like rats. It is rumored that monkeys have been eaten, but that is not verified.
When plants were first thought to be carnivorous, it was rumored that there was a man eating plant on Madagascar, but that was not true!
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About Me
Who are you?
What experience do you have in carnivorous plants?
What is your favorite Carnivorous Plant?
Who are you?
My name is Tom Murosky. I live in Central Pennsylvania where I am working on a doctorate degree at PSU. My professional work is not in Carnivorous Plants, though there are many researchers who do this work pofessionally. When I am not managing my plants, I am usually working on a webpage or two, finding materials for my plants, or hanging out with friends from church!
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What experience do you have in carnivorous plants?
My interest in plants started in growing herbs as a teenager. I had over 50 species of herbs: mints, spices, tea plants, etc. When I went off to college, I did not have time to keep up with them. I never really lost my interest in plants, but herbs take a long time to care for, so I started to collect Carnivorous Plants in June of 2005. I currently have about 100 plants from from each type of Carnivorous Plant except Bladderworts and a few other odd plants.
I am only a hobbiest in Carnivorous Plants, meaning that I do not study them much, but am far more interested in just collecting them, growing them, and watching them.
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What is your favorite Carnivorous Plant?
It is hard to say. Overall, I like the Sundews the most, particularly the Cape Sundew because it can wrap around lunch so quickly! The Venus Fly Trap, particularly the Green Dragon is another favorite because of the color patterns. And the Nepenthes are really cool because of the traps and colors, but they are also very big, so I don't grow many of these.
All that being said, I think I like the general catagory of Sundews the best.
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About The Website
Some detailed information about this site can be found on the Site Info page.
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All information on this site ©2006 State College Carnivorous Plants. Site designed and maintained by Tom Murosky.
Last update January 22, 2007.
I allow free use of all written materials on this site. Easy download PDF files availible
in the resource link of each plant type.
Photographs may contain copyrights from other organizations, you must contact them regarding
use of photographs. --
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