Photo taken by @christianziegler in #Sabah / #Borneo. Rajah’s pitcher plant (Nepenthes rajah), has the largest of all pitchers, with up to 3 liters content. The species is endemic to higher elevations of the Mt. Kinabalu area and listed as endangered in the IUCN red list. Rajah’s pitcher plant has a mutualistic relationship with some small mammals: the plant offers nectar from glands on it’s lid, which is frequently licked off by the tree shrews in the daytime. While licking, the mammals frequently defecate into the pitcher thus supplying the plant with much needed phosphorus and nitrogen. Once that has happened, the pitcher turns into a natural aquarium: here is a side view into a pitcher with a rich ecosystem, based on these nutrients, and composed of mosquito, fly, and beetle larvae. Part of a story that I am posting in more detail on @christianziegler. @thephotosociety @natgeocreative @iLCP_photographers #rainforest #conservation #jungle #ecology #mutualism #aquarium
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