Do carnivorous plants actually eat their prey?
Do carnivorous plants actually eat their prey?
Sometimes plants bite back.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Sometimes plants bite back.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Nicku/Dreamstime.com; © Ke77kz/Dreamstime.com; Courtesy, Biodiversity Heritage LibraryOverview of Charles Darwin's life, with a focus on his work involving evolution.
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Temponaut: Sebastian Skuhra (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Time-lapse video showing the decomposition of a watermelon, a pineapple, strawberries, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Learn more about the biology of carnivorous plants with Encyclopædia Britannica editor Melissa Petruzzello.
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Transcript
Picture a peaceful garden scene: a bee visiting a flower. An ant carrying a leaf. A bird plucking a berry.
Watch out, though. Sometimes plants bite back.
The activities of carnivorous plants may seem almost fantastical.
Venus flytraps snap their jaws to ensnare insects. Pitcher plants lure prey into an inescapable pit, then digest them. Bladderwort plants suck in tiny animals like a vacuum. Why? In reality, Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, and bladderworts aren’t so different from sunflowers or apple trees: their actual “food,” or energy, comes from the Sun. Carnivory doesn’t replace photosynthesis for these plants, which convert light into chemical energy just like their less bug-hungry relatives. So, what purpose does their prey serve? Most carnivorous plants grow in environments with poor soil, including bogs, swamps, and wet or sandy beaches. This means their roots can’t source necessary nutrients, including nitrogenous compounds and salt, from the soil where they grow. Instead, the plants get these nutrients by digesting their prey. For most carnivorous plants, that prey consists of small insects, including ants, flies, and beetles. Still, larger creatures aren’t necessarily safe.
Venus flytraps snap their jaws to ensnare insects. Pitcher plants lure prey into an inescapable pit, then digest them. Bladderwort plants suck in tiny animals like a vacuum. Why? In reality, Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, and bladderworts aren’t so different from sunflowers or apple trees: their actual “food,” or energy, comes from the Sun. Carnivory doesn’t replace photosynthesis for these plants, which convert light into chemical energy just like their less bug-hungry relatives. So, what purpose does their prey serve? Most carnivorous plants grow in environments with poor soil, including bogs, swamps, and wet or sandy beaches. This means their roots can’t source necessary nutrients, including nitrogenous compounds and salt, from the soil where they grow. Instead, the plants get these nutrients by digesting their prey. For most carnivorous plants, that prey consists of small insects, including ants, flies, and beetles. Still, larger creatures aren’t necessarily safe.