It is in connection with the fluid contained in the pitchers of the
Nepenthes that these plants catch much larger prey than insects. In the
tropics it is not always an easy matter for birds and other small
animals to secure a drink readily. The half-filled pitchers entice many
a small creature to creep over the fluted rim in order to secure a
draught of the fluid, which is not unpleasant to the taste. Now and
again the venturesome visitor loses his hold and tumbles into the
pitcher. Even in the case of mice and small birds the pitcher proves a
veritable death-trap. The slippery sides are almost insurmountable,
while the sharp hooks round the rim still further check an escape.
Sooner or later the victim falls back into the fluid and is drowned.
Strange as it may appear, after such a capture the plant grows
vigorously, for the decaying body of its victim is rich in just the food
material of which it stands in need.