Dendroboard banner

Thumbnails and Carnivorous Plants?

3K views 21 replies 9 participants last post by  Chris S 
#1 · (Edited)
Does anyone have any experience keeping thumbnails with carnivorous plants such as Sundews (Drosera sp.) or Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes)? There are quite a few threads on here regarding them, but curious if anyone is actively keeping them with Thumbnails?

I've seen a few examples, but have never tried it. I keep Drosera capenthis outside of my tanks now (and they help to clean up a few stray flies!).

My thoughts on Drosera sp. is that it may actually be able to catch and consume small froglets. Full grown Ranitomeya would not have an issue I don't think.

Pitcher Plants seem like they would be pretty harmless, as the frogs should be able to climb out. I assume they may actually hide in them. I have zero experience keeping any Pitch Plants though.
 
#5 ·
Unfortunately I can’t comment on their suitability with frogs, since I have a Nepenthes that is quite happy in my paludarium but no frogs. However I can say that Droseras won’t go well with dart frogs just due to misting and humidity: Droseras can’t stand being misted and really don’t want moisture sitting on their leaves - I have killed enough in the past year that I’ve given up on that genus. They prefer to be watered from the bottom up only. Pinguiculas are ok with being misted as long as they have good light and good airflow.
 
#7 ·
While I haven't kept them together, I do know people have done so successfully. While the odds of a frog dying in a pitcher plant are very low, it's not 0%. After all, they can drown in something as simple as a bromeliad.
 
#8 ·
I've never had a frog/froglet drown in a bromeliad. It should also be noted that Nepenthes do have a waxy coating on the inside of the pitcher to make climbing out difficult - albeit this is designed to trap insects, not frogs.

I would suspect any frogs drowning in bromeliads likely had some other issues, but as you suggest, certainly not impossible.
 
#14 ·
Possibly relevant:

"Bladderworts are only big enough to eat small animals such as: paramecium, amoeba, water fleas, aquatic worms and mosquito larvae. Larger animals such as newborn tadpoles and fish are sometimes found hanging half out of bladders. The sac digests whatever it can hold, but is not big enough to ingest an entire
creature this large."

 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris S
#15 ·
Possibly relevant:

"Bladderworts are only big enough to eat small animals such as: paramecium, amoeba, water fleas, aquatic worms and mosquito larvae. Larger animals such as newborn tadpoles and fish are sometimes found hanging half out of bladders. The sac digests whatever it can hold, but is not big enough to ingest an entire
creature this large."

Right, tadpole, that seems like the word I was looking for. My Utricularia graminifolia bladders are about 1/8" - how big are newly hatched tadpoles?
 
#16 ·
Drosera and frogs would be a nightmare in my opinion....mucilage and active moving larger animals a no go.

Nepenthes I am not for sure about. Many insects and animals make use of various Nepenthes. That said I would think there could be some concern. Is the waxy upper region going to be problematic to gain foothold for the frogs? If it slides into the lower portions will it stimulate the plant and changes in pH cause issues. Some Nepenthes reach below a pH of 4. Amphibians and reptiles are found at times to be consumed but not for sure the frequency or diseases animal etc..

Now many that have kept bog gardens outside will find various tree frogs make Sarracenia a nice spot to shade themselves and pick up an easy snack. I have had Eastern Grays in my little "bog" out on a patio table in a few different Sarrencenia, with one being S. purpurea. S. purpurea has also however been found to "consume" salamanders.

I don't think I would add carnivorous plants in with frogs.
 
#19 ·
Schledog, I'm pretty sure U. longifolia is a terrestrial. But either way, I think it is a good viv candidate given space and moisture.

I have U. graminifolia and U. humbolti x alpina in a viv. U. graminifolia is pretty adaptable for me, growing everywhere from submerged to epiphyticaly. Ping's do well in the viv for me too.

As a note, I think you don't really see Nepenthese in vivs much because of mature size. I only have a couple in my greenhouse, but the smallest is maybe 5 years old and is multiple 1.5 meter vines. The largest is closer to 10 years old and a solid 2 meters in diameter, and more stems than I can count. Both only produce pitchers less than 10 cm in size; ie the kind one might be tempted put in a viv as a small seedling or cutting.

I had Brocchinia reducta in a viv for awhile as well. It did well but never looked right; too tall and skinny.
 
#20 ·
I believe the species that grow in bromeliad axils in the wild are humboldtii and nelumbifolia. Apparently, they actually grow in Brocchinia sometimes, but in any case they seem to use larger broms than I have room for at the moment. However, someone said humboldtii grows on tepuis, so I’m envisioning a very cool tepui-biotype plant only tank...

I currently have a Nepenthes ampullaria x (spectabilis x talangensis) that I have had in my tank for a year and hasn’t outgrown it yet. The pitchers seem to stay about 4” and perhaps if I let it the vine would get a meter long, or the ampullaria influence might limit the vining, I’ll see over the next few years. Worst case, I’ll take tip cuttings and propagate.
 
#21 ·
I've kept auratus for a few years together with a lot of Nepenthes. Absolutely no problems for the frogs (they slept regularly in the pitchers) but I started running into issues with the plants (because of vitamin powder residue and pests which I couldn't treat) so I had to separate them. But as nearly all Nepenthes turn into massive climbing of scrambling vines, the tank was a temporary setup anyway. All frogs that slept in the pitchers are still alive and doing well today. A healthy frog should not have any issues getting in and out of one and their skin is more than capable of handling the fluids in pitchers.

Heliamphora need tons of light to grow well, much more than is given in an average viv. They also despise high temperatures and need a drop in temperatures at night to continue thriving in the long term. But they could work well if those conditions can be met, which is certainly doable by placing them relatively close underneath the lights and using LEDs. I think I came across a paper that mentioned that Heliamphora sometimes occur together with a Ranitomeya species, and some of the carnivorous bromeliads Brocchinia and Catopsis also occured together with Ranitomeya. With reproduction happening inside the bromeliads despite being carnivorous. I suppose the tadpoles helped with digesting the insects for the plants :p

I only ever put a Drosera madagascariensis with Mantella baroni as they occur together in the wild, but the sundew did not appreciate being trampled now and again. Most Drosera are sensitive to droplets and fertilizer/vitamin powder residues so they won't do well in most vivs.

Carnivorous plants that I consider safe and (semi)practical for tanks with frogs are terrestrial and epiphytic Utricularia, Genlisea, some species of Pinguicula, Brocchinia and Catopsis bromeliads (again, loads of light) and Heliamphora.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ookami
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top