Intoducing.. *drumroll*

.. Our beloved pet, Meme!

Thaaat's right, you got it folks! We adopted a vicious, ferocious, meat-eating Venus Flytrap and aptly named it with the most adorable nickname we could think of. As her name suggests, Meme is a plant that is able seduce an insect (or two) to venture into her alluring lips and instantly (literally, she does this within milliseconds) snap those lips shut, rendering her prey immobile.  Her lips are basically two hinged lobes at the end of two leaves.  On the inner surface of her 'lips' are hair-like follicles named trichomes which are responsible in detecting an insect when it touches them.  These insects are then trapped inside Meme, and with the help of interlocking bristles at the end of each lobe, unable to crawl or fly out.  Over a course of a few hours, Meme will slowly digest the insect and turn it into energy. That concludes the detailed description of how Meme has breakfast, lunch or dinner.  

Ah, but wait.  What if, you ask, something else touches Meme's inner hair-like bristles?  Something inedible like say, a small rock?

To ensure that Meme doesn't waste her time and energy on trying to digest that which cannot be digested, her trichomes must be activated not once but multiple times.  But if by chance this rock decides to roll about a bit inside Meme's lips and she mistakes it for food, her lips will open in twelve hours after having unsuccessfully tried to feed on it. 

Just in case you have thought of this question (like I have)... Meme is a plant, and she is a green plant.  This indicates that she is in fact, in possession of chlorophyll and is able to thrive in sunlight.  So why does Meme need to feed on insects?

Meme is a special plant that can survive and thrive in even the most nutrient-deprived soil conditions (this is an exaggeration, Meme is not as 'badass' as a cactus but you get the idea).  Meme lives in acidic soil that are usually deprived of nutrients needed by most plants to survive.  As such, Meme has adapted to her surroundings and has developed her own way to survive.  The nutrients she does not get from the soil, she gets elsewhere. *evil grin*

Meme's pretty interesting isn't she?  Here are some other unique facts about Meme that'll get you as interested in her as we are:

• Meme can live a long healthy life of approximately 20 years and more (she can probably outlive most house cats or dogs)
• Besides luring her prey in with nectar, Meme can also glow BLUE (raveee party *unst unst unst* okay sorry I'll stahp) to attract prey during the bleaker parts of the day
• Meme can even.. digest.. human flesh..

Just as a clarification, we have decided not to purchase Meme from any available nurseries that sell them as her conservation status is vulnerable with one of the main causes being over-collection.  As such we have decided to visit Meme on a weekly basis at a botanical garden nearby.  That'll be all for Meme's introduction, thanks for sticking with me until the end.

-Esah