Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 18:23:15 -0800 (PST) From: Philcula@webtv.net (Phil Faulisi) To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3728$foo@default> Subject: Re: Cp's and vivariums
Hello Dak,
First of all I love your idea about incorporating such
exquisite amphibians with our beloved cp's. I would strongly advise
against putting Venus Fly Traps in the same environment with such tiny,
delicate creatures though. In my own collection both outdoors and in my
greenhouse my flytraps get very large (2 inches +) and are quite capable
and HAVE captured and digested small local tree frogs; Morgan HIll,
California. In some cases, especially if the traps snap fast enough,
they may shut closed on the leg of one of the frogs and hold it there in
place possibly causing damage to it as the frog struggles to escape. I
have noticed on many, many occasions that under very warm humid
conditions, Venus Fly Traps can snap completely shut without any room
between their spines for the creature to remove its leg. Sort of like
biting the poor animal. Also, fly traps require very strong light for
proper growth. Under artificial light you would have to place the plant
very close to the bulbs in order to develope strong disease resistant
growth. Otherwise you can expect growth to be soft and leggy. I
personally prefer strong, rigid traps. :)
Sundews on the other hand may get your animals all gooey with their
mucilage whilst they hop along on their merry way only to clamber over a
glistening rosette. Although they shouldn't harm your pets in any way.
These too grow best in strong light. Nepenthes may be ok when small,
but I wouldn't run the risk of one of your valuable frogs falling into a
large enough pitcher. These too are quite capable, although not common,
of capturing and YUK... decomposing a small frog. The interior walls of
some nepenthes are quite slick and even though frogs are capable of
climbing slick verticle surfaces I just wouldn't risk it. Which leaves
me to believe that under your conditions you could select a beautiful
assortment of Pinguicula (butterwort, Mexican preferably) and
utricularia (bladderworts, terrestrial or better yet epiphytic). These
plants will not harm your frogs nor should your frogs do any harm to the
plants. And....they have very beautiful flowers. They don't require the
same intensity of light as most other cp's and should adapt and colonize
quite well. The possibilities for such arrangements are endless.
I should mention the Mexican pings grow excellently on verticle mossy
surfaces such as rocks or moss covered cork bark. I would be a bit
concerned with the type of moss you use for growing your plants. I would
use only pure sphagnum as a collected specie or dried for use as a top
dressing with and around the plants and use your other types of mosses
for decoration or other plant types elsewhere in the unit. This is only
my personal opinion on what I would use as cp material when intergrated
with delicate live stock such as your little jewels. It would be great
if someone out there who has succesfully tackled this project before
would give their advice. I hope you are able to post pictures of your
completed setup for all of us to enjoy. Good luck and happy holidays.
Phil Faulisi
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