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Native to North and South Carolina on the East Coast of the United States of America, the venus flytrap (Dionaea corymbosa) supplements the usual diet of minerals and nutrients from the soil and light from the sun with a decidedly different source: meat.
Growing up to around 13 cm (5 in) in diameter, the typical venus flytrap plant includes multiple snapping ‘traps’ that can be up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter.
Most common varieties of venus flytraps feature a green outer layer with either a green or bright pink surface on the trap.
Covered in small hairs and lined with spikes that resemble teeth, the plant lies in wait for something to wander through.
But it doesn’t just rely on luck… the venus flytrap is a surprisingly smart hunter for a mostly-stationary plant.
It produces a layer of sweet nectar on the surface of each trap, luring in spiders, ants, beetles, flies, and other small unsuspecting creatures.
The small hairs on the surface of the plant detect movement and trigger the trap to snap shut.
When it does, the teeth-like edges of the leaves come together to seal the trap shut. The plant is then free to slowly digest its prey over the course of a few days.
Eventually, the trap reopens and the undigested pieces of the plant’s most recent victim fall out, and it’s ready to hunt again.
This unusual way of sustaining itself has drawn then the attention of scientists and explorers for centuries, with Charles Darwin calling the plant “one of the most wonderful [plants] in the world” all the way back in 1875!
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