Poop. Not a subject of polite conversation. But with a six-year-old granddaughter, this is an integral part of my daily discussions—stories and jokes which feature poop, farts, and belches, and I thought nothing could get me.
But poop-eating plants did! This is one of those bizarrely strange tales from the natural world that makes me marvel at how much we don’t know.
The next time someone tells you that plants only need sunshine, nutrients from the soil and water, its time to pop out the word coprophagy. That’s the term for poop-eating. Most often it’s associated with animals—rabbits, dung beetles, and sometimes dogs. But it turns out that some plants may also be participants in this less-than-dainty buffet. Not many, mind you. It’s an exclusive club.
The pitcher plant (genus Nepenthes) is a frontrunner in this strange category. While most carnivorous plants are famous for trapping insects, some tropical species of Nepenthes have found an alternative nutrient source—bat poop. In places like Borneo, bats roost conveniently above the pitchers, and their droppings fall right in. Scientists call it a “nutritional mutualism.” The bats get shelter; the plant gets dinner. Apart from bat-poop, plants are known to eat the poop of tree shrews, lizards, and even of birds. These flowers even resemble toilets—all the better to catch the poop as it falls.
These plants don’t actually chomp up poop. Rather, they have evolved to extract nutrients from faeces, often via mechanisms like sticky leaves, enzymes, and old-fashioned decomposition. Some even form alliances with fungi or microbes to get the job done.
But why on earth would a plant choose poop? It’s a matter of efficiency. Poop, especially from animals like bats and tree shrews, is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus—two nutrients that are vital for plant growth but maybe in short supply in nutrient-poor soils where many of these carnivorous plants grow. Insects provide these too, but poop is like a ready-made fertilizer packet, no hunting required. Poop offers a shortcut—already digested, already broken down. Though the comparitive nutritive values have not been rigourously tested, it is believed that poop is more nutritious.The bats roost above the pitchers, do their business, and the plant simply absorbs the nutrients through specialized enzymes or microbes that help break things down. Also, insects are scarce on tropical peaks above 2,200 meters, so poop provides a good alternative source. In fact, scientists are finding that some carnivorous plants are evolving from eating bugs to eating poop! Some pitcher plants have even evolved shapes and scents to attract the animals specifically for their droppings!
Are there any Indian coprophagic plants?
Yes indeed! North East India is home to several species of pitcher plants or Nepenthes. Recent studies suggest that some species in the Nepenthes family (including those found in Southeast Asia) are more than happy to lap up the occasional faecal nutrient.
The Western Ghats, another biodiversity hotspot, also hosts a variety of unusual plants, including some that partner with fungi to decompose animal droppings in the soil. While not technically “eating” poop in the way a pitcher plant might, these interactions are still part of the larger cycle of nutrient recycling—with poop part of this circle of life.
So, the next time you see a lovely green pitcher in a botanical garden or on a damp forest trek in the North East, give it a respectful nod. It might be doing more than just sitting pretty. It might be part of a brilliant, bat-poop-powered system we’re only just beginning to understand.
Well, I know that after this story, Botany is definitely going to be my granddaughter’s favourite subject! Who knew botany could be this…entertainingly gross?
–Meena
The connection is a tree that is reputed to be the most instagrammed tree in New Zealand, almost a symbol of NZ tourism. On a recent trip there, we were urged to set aside time to see the tree, specifically around sunset. So we worked around our program to ensure we got to the spot—a stretch of a beach—well ahead. We drove past a few times, keenly looking at the beach. We could see some people, but nothing special in the way of trees. We asked natives and tourists alike, and they all pointed us to the same area which our GPS had shown us, and which we had passed, looking in vain for a landmark. We decided to make our way down to the beach anyway. Lo and behold, there were many, many people there, jostling for some spot (we could not figure out what the spot was for), all setting up professional looking camera equipment. It came to a pass when we had to ask a friendly-looking lady what everyone was waiting to photograph, where the famous tree was, and what it was about. She kindly pointed to this spindly willow tree, standing a few feet into the waters of the beautiful Wanaka Lake, against a beautiful background of majestic mountains. But the tree itself? In my mind, this will forever define and exemplify ‘under-whelming’. ‘Why is the tree famous’, we asked many around us in bewilderment. While there was some story of how it was part of a fence and had survived in the water for several years, the general consensus was that it was famous because it was famous! So famous , it even has its own insta handle #ThatWanakaTree.
ife Day. This marks the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. Every year on this day, events are held around the world to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
Millennial Matriarchs 