This plant lures
in it’s prey, then SNAP. In less than a second it traps and starts to
digest. How’s that for spooky! The Venus Flytrap is a fascinating
carnivorous plant. Because it grows in soils that are poor in nutrients,
it traps a variety of insects and even tiny frogs and digests them for
the nutrients it isn’t getting from the soil. Each trap is only used 4
to 6 times then it withers, browns, and falls off.
Once something is trapped, the digestion period starts which can last up to 10 days. If by chance it traps something other than an insect, it will spit it back out within 12 hours. The Venus Flytrap is a perennial plant which means it blooms year after year. It is estimated the plant can live for up to 20 years, however it is vulnerable. It is threatened by over-collection, habitat destruction, and fire suppression.
This plant uses sweetness to entice it’s prey and although it looks less intimidating than the Venus Flytrap, don’t let that fool you! It produces a sweet smelling nectar which invites unsuspecting passer-bys. During inspection of the plant they realize there is sweet, juicy nectar inside the tubular leaves. Yummy….oops, they have fallen in. Unable to climb back out it succumbs to it’s fate and is slowly dissolved by the chemicals in the same juicy nectar that it once tried to drink.
to climb back, this fallen insect flails helplessly in the fluid until
it loses energy and submits to the overpowering force of its fate. – See
more at:
http://www.carnivorous–plants.com/pitcher-plant.html#sthash.1ECXEUu7.dpuf
to climb back, this fallen insect flails helplessly in the fluid until
it loses energy and submits to the overpowering force of its fate. – See
more at:
http://www.carnivorous–plants.com/pitcher-plant.html#sthash.1ECXEUu7.dpuf
There are many species of Pitcher Plants all around the world. Some are hanging, which usually attract insects and some are grown from the ground. These can lure in insects as well as small birds, snakes, lizards and mice.
The largest species of the Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes rajah, is used as a toilet by small tree shrews and rats! They sit on the edge and eat the outside of the plant while doing their business on the inside. There certainly is a similarity. Spooky or just plain vulgar?