Venus Flytraps are one of the most amazing creatures in the plant kingdom, mainly because of the strange peculiarities that the plant possesses.
The exotic nature of a Venus flytrap plant can make you think it grows in a lush forest on an island or the amazon jungle. However, in reality, Venus Flytraps only thrive naturally in a small geographical area in South and North Carolina.
Hungry Plant Present : 10 Strange Facts About The Venus Flytrap.
For many centuries, these alien-looking plants have been the source of mystery due to their peculiar qualities. Here are 10 strange facts about the Venus flytrap to help you why the plant remains a mystery in the 21st century.
Here’s a good piece of guidance you may also want to consider reading further related to Venus flytraps: How To Grow Venus Flуtrарѕ From Seeds.
The Venus Flytrap is native to North America.
North and South Carolina are the only known places in the entire world where these plants grow naturally. Venus flytraps thrive in coastal areas with an average of 80% humidity and lots of sunlight. The plant grows best in moist, acidic soil with little to no nutrients; hence, why they are a predatory species. The survival of the plant is dependent on the nutrients it gets from feeding on insects.
Hamburgers Cause Dionaea Muscipula To Rot
Although Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant, it cannot eat the same type of meat as humans. The plant turns black, rots and dies if it’s fed a fast-food burger.
Insects Are Lured In With Nectar
The plant employs a fascinating hunting mechanism to make sure it captures and traps its prey. The plant has perfectly adapted for survival, and it has a functional bait station for drawing its prey. A Venus flytrap produces nectar, which acts as the bait for insects that like the sweet taste of nectar. Once the prey has landed on the plant, it is trapped and eaten.
Venus Fly Traps Also Grow Blue
There is no doubt that Venus flytrap is a highly advanced and developed plant. Although the main point of attraction for the prey is nectar, the plant has a better antic that makes sure that the insects are attracted to it. Typically, the plant emits a blue light that is very attractive to insects. While nectar plays a significant role in attracting prey, the plant boosts its odds of capturing prey by producing a fluorescent blue glow to attract insects.
Limited Trap Life
Venus flytraps have a limited lifespan. That is because, after every capture, the plant’s trap remains closed for about 7 to 10 days. That prevents it from getting more nutrients, which are essential to its survival. Also, the plant’s trap only opens and closes about 6 times before it closes permanently. While the trap will continue photosynthesizing to provide more nutrients to the plant, it is not able to capture insects.
Scientists Have Invented Robotic Fly Traps
Scientists are now taking a keen interest in robotic animals and plants. When the time comes for robots to take over the world, you must watch out for the mechanical flytrap. Technologists in South Korea and Maine have already created small automated replicas that trap insects and digest them for fuel.
It Takes More Than 7 Days for The Plant To Digest Larger Insects
Once capturing an insect, the Flytrap produces a liquid in the same way a human’s stomach operates. However, the plant’s digestive system is slow and can take up to 10 days for it to fully digest the insect before reopening the trap. The plant cannot digest exoskeletons. Instead, once the digestion is over, the trap reopens, and the Flytrap spits out the insects’ bones.
We recommend these options from Amazon for Venus Flytraps Seeds
Traps Catch Occasional Frogs
The Venus flytrap is a fantastic plant and a perfectly adapted hunter. Besides trapping and feeding on small insects such as beetles and insects, it can also catch and eat slightly larger prey. Also, it is fascinating to learn that the plant has an incredible hunting mechanism that allows it to capture frogs. Therefore, as much as insects should be wary of the flytraps, any wrong move by a frog could be lethal.
They Can Digest Human Skin
While what you have read so far about the Venus flytrap is truly interesting and amazing, it would also be a bit strange to learn that it can digest human skin. One peculiar aspect of this plant is that it captures insects and amphibians and has no issue digesting them. Research has also proven that these carnivores are not only skilled at digesting amphibians and insects, but also have the ability to digest human skins.
A Venus flytrap plant will digest small strips of human skin if placed in its pod.
So, How Did All Carnivorous Plants Evolve Their Taste For Meat? Let’s find out from this article.
Evolved From The Early Sundew Relative
Although Charles Darwin worked very hard on trying to determine the evolutionary origin of the Venus flytrap, he was not successful, and it is only a recent discovery. A study conducted in 2009 identified a genetic relationship between Sundews and the Venus flytrap. Sundews are very primitive bug-gobblers.
This evolutionary origin of the plant is true, considering the high affinity that both species have for insects. Also, considering the tendency that each of these two plants traps insects without them being aware of the plants’ sinister motives. Scientists believe the Venus flytrap to be a highly advanced relative of the Sundew plant.
Here what we learned while writing 10 strange facts about the venus flytrap.
They have fantastic reflexes, eat bugs, and are even currently made in a robotic form. Venus flytrap plants have amazed many people, including the most influential scientists. The most exciting aspect of this plant is its eating mechanism. While ants are the Venus flytraps primary prey, the plant also eats insects, slugs, creepy crawlies, flies, and even small frogs. The plant not only eats insects for nourishment, but it also needs daylight, oxygen, and water to survive. Insects mostly supply their nutrient regimen. As a result, many people have been attracted to this strange plant. Many people are fascinated by these exotic plants.
