Venus fly traps

Venus fly traps are a species unusual carnivorous plant from the Carolinas. They live in sunny peat bogs and Pine Barrens that are found in those areas. These interesting plants are famous for their unusual traps that resemble “jaws” or “bear traps”. As small a plant its traps grow about one inch long, and 3-5 traps grow on the plant at a time.

The traps are baited by nectar produced by several glands lining the trap. When the fly lands in the trap, it triggers its closing by brushing its trigger hairs. The trap then closes and the insect is trapped by its cilia or “teeth”. The trap, after a few minutes, seals. The sealed trap then fills with a weak honey colored acid which dissolves the soft insides of the insect; and kills any bacteria that can damage the trap. After about a week, the trap opens to reveal the insect exoskeleton which blows away in the wind.

 Courtisy Bontany.com

The trap will only seal if the trigger hairs are bent for three minutes. This adaptation prevents the trap form wasting its energy by digesting leaves, raindrops, and small insects. Each trap can only digest three to five insects each. After that they stop working and eventually die.

spent trap Courtisy of Barry Rice's Website

Unfortunately, Venus fly traps have been going extinct in the wild. The main reasons for this being poaching and habitat destruction. Although poaching has been on the decline do to mass-propagation of this plant, habitat destruction still destroys thousands of acres of habitat each year.