Carnivorous Plants Carnivorous Plants If an animal eats a plant, it is of no particular interest; but when a plant eats an animal, that is of interest.

Carnivorous PlantsCarnivorous Plants Carnivorous PlantsCarnivorous Plants

 If an animal eats a plant, it  If an animal eats a plant, it is of no particular interest; is of no particular interest; but when a plant eats an but when a plant eats an animal, that is of  interest.animal, that is of  interest.

The fact that there are few The fact that there are few flesh-eating plants make flesh-eating plants make them fascinating and them fascinating and interesting to everyone.interesting to everyone.

The The Venus Venus

Fly TrapFly Trap

The Venus Fly The Venus Fly Trap is the most Trap is the most

well known well known species of species of

carnivorous carnivorous plants. plants.

These insectivorous These insectivorous plants lure their plants lure their prey using a sweet prey using a sweet smelling nectar. smelling nectar. When an insect When an insect lands on the head of lands on the head of the fly trap, they the fly trap, they seek the source of seek the source of the nectar, and if the nectar, and if the plant is lucky, it the plant is lucky, it will touch one of the will touch one of the many trigger hairs many trigger hairs located within the located within the jaws of the trap.jaws of the trap.

Once Once triggeredtriggered, the trap , the trap snaps snaps closed, closed, trapping trapping the the victim.victim.

The plant The plant then secretes then secretes an enzyme an enzyme which which essentially essentially 'dissolves' 'dissolves' the insect, the insect, turning it into turning it into a digestible a digestible dinner.dinner.

After a After a few few days, days, the fly the fly trap trap will re-will re-open, open, to to await await it's it's next next victim.victim.YummYummmmm!mmm!

Is this cricket taking a nap????

Pitcher Plant Pitcher Plant or Fly Catcheor Fly Catcherr

The inner The inner part of part of these these beautiful beautiful pitchers pitchers are covered are covered with stiff with stiff hairs and hairs and are half-are half-filled with a filled with a liquid.liquid.

The insects are attracted  by the beautiful The insects are attracted  by the beautiful flower and the sweet fluid.  The hairs on flower and the sweet fluid.  The hairs on the  inner surface of the pitcher allow the the  inner surface of the pitcher allow the insect to travel down but they prevent its insect to travel down but they prevent its traveling upward and out. traveling upward and out. 

Therefore it continues downward into Therefore it continues downward into the fluid where it drowns. The plant the fluid where it drowns. The plant absorbs the soft parts of the  body absorbs the soft parts of the  body and the skeleton  remains in the and the skeleton  remains in the bottom of the pitcher.bottom of the pitcher.

Pitcher plants are often found with Pitcher plants are often found with many skeletons hidden inside.many skeletons hidden inside.

Look inside a pitcher plant!

What do you see?

These are the parts the pitcher plant doesn’t eat.

Do you recognize any of the parts that are left?

Take a look inside of the pitcher plant.

Pitcher plants in North America live almost exclusively in bogs, wet meadows, or pine savannahs, and wetlands.

Sun DewSun Dew

  Small Small insects, such insects, such as gnats are as gnats are attracted by attracted by the beautiful the beautiful dew-like dew-like substance on substance on the leaves of the leaves of this plant.this plant.

Once they have come  in  contact Once they have come  in  contact with this sticky substance, with this sticky substance, however, they cannot escape. however, they cannot escape.

After a short time the leaf slowly After a short time the leaf slowly folds, completely  encloses the folds, completely  encloses the insect and digests its body.insect and digests its body.

BladderwortBladderwort

  In the springtime the prairies are In the springtime the prairies are carpeted in the  yellow flower of the carpeted in the  yellow flower of the bladderwort. This plant lives in shallow bladderwort. This plant lives in shallow waters and  swamps of the Southeast. waters and  swamps of the Southeast.

The leaves have small air sacs or The leaves have small air sacs or bladders in which minute water bladders in which minute water creatures such as larvae,  nematodes, creatures such as larvae,  nematodes, water  fleas, protozoa, and small worms water  fleas, protozoa, and small worms are trapped. are trapped. 

Each bladder has a small opening Each bladder has a small opening through which the tiny animal can through which the tiny animal can enter but cannot escape.enter but cannot escape.

Each bladder has a small opening through Each bladder has a small opening through which the tiny animal can enter but which the tiny animal can enter but cannot escape.cannot escape.

Eventually the trapped  organisms die and Eventually the trapped  organisms die and their bodies decompose  forming the their bodies decompose  forming the nitrogenous food for the bladderwort.nitrogenous food for the bladderwort.

Sites for Kids on Sites for Kids on Carnivorous PlantsCarnivorous Plants

Carnivorous Plants Carnivorous Plants PPTsPPTs Great Site for KidsGreat Site for Kids Carnivorous Plants Carnivorous Plants Great picturesGreat pictures Chomp! Meat-Eating PlantsChomp! Meat-Eating Plants Plants for KidsPlants for Kids Venus Flytrap and other Weird PlantsVenus Flytrap and other Weird Plants Facts About Carnivarous Plants Facts About Carnivarous Plants Plants: CarnivorousPlants: Carnivorous The Carnivorous Plants WebsiteThe Carnivorous Plants Website