Carnivorous plants are those plants that capture and eat animals and small organisms including insects.Carnivorous plants digest prey using a digestive fluid to get nutrients for growth and other metabolic processes. These carnivorous plants also perform photosynthesis for their energy requirements.These carnivorous plants are also known as insectivorous plants. This is because they eat insects and obtain their nutrients by digesting animals. All around the world, there are 600 species of plants that are carnivorous. They are found all over the world except in Antarctica.Have you ever thought about what carnivorous plants eat? They eat various kinds of organisms like unsuspecting insects, small vertebrates, reptiles, birds, rats, crawling insects, and others. To be categorized as a carnivorous plant, the plant must capture its small prey, kill it, digest it, and absorb the nutrients and use these nutrients to grow.These carnivorous plants are usually flowering. Most plants grow in areas where there is a deficiency of nutrients and the soil is thin. They use various methods to capture prey. Methods may include vacuuming or having rolled leaves with digestive fluids, sticky mucilage, pitfall traps, flypaper traps, or pots. Some of the carnivorous plant species are the Venus flytrap, the pitcher plant, the butterwort, the mirabilis, the sundew, the cobra plant, and the corkscrew plant.They avoid eating pollinator insects by using various mechanisms. They have their flowers at a height so that pollinators do not get trapped. These flowers mainly have pollen or nectar which attracts pollinators while the traps have scents or a color pattern. In some plants, flowers bloom before the trap is developed. Most carnivorous plants also take nutrients from the animal protein present on their leaf surface.Once these plants ingest an insect, they make use of their inward-pointing hairs to push the prey towards the region where digestive enzymes are present. Once the prey comes in contact with the digestive enzymes, the metabolism process starts and the plant draws energy for its other functions.After reading about the diet of a carnivorous plant like the Venus flytrap, also check out facts on poisonous plants in Arizona and plants in the Arctic.Fun Facts About Carnivorous PlantsCarnivorous plants trap their prey and then digest them using some digestive enzymes. Then, the plant absorbs the nutrients so the plant can continue to develop. Below are some fun facts about carnivorous plants.Carnivorous plants have evolved nine times.They have beautiful, colorful flowers to attract insects.Many species of carnivorous plants have tentacles to capture their prey.Some species of frogs lay their eggs inside the pitcher plant. These tadpoles get their nutrition from the pool of the pitcher plant.Bats sometimes sleep inside the pitcher plant and in return, pitcher plants get some nutrients from the waste excreted by the bat.Some carnivorous plants are also found in water bodies. They mostly eat mosquito larvae or small fish.Some of these plants are listed as endangered species.The famous naturalist Charles Darwin was a huge fan of carnivorous plants.He also called them ‘one of the most wonderful plants of the world’.The largest animal a carnivorous plant can eat is a rat.There are fossils of carnivorous plants. The oldest one is about 47 million years old.Scary Facts About Carnivorous PlantsCarnivorous plants can appear to be a little scary. They capture or trap their prey using various mechanisms like pitchers, tiny hairs, and spikes. The plant’s enzymes digest small insects and use their nutrients to grow. Below are some scary facts about these meat-eating plants.They can eat various kinds of organisms including worms, birds, rats, fish, insects, and reptiles.Aquatic bladderworts are also called the fastest carnivorous plant, because they can trap their prey in five to nine milliseconds.They can eat small bits of human flesh only if it is fed to them.They can grow in places where there is a deficiency of nutrients.They sometimes are included in floral setups due to their beautiful flowers.A pitcher plant can eat up to 250 insects during the summer season.Facts About The Habitat Of Carnivorous PlantsBelow are some of the facts about habitats of carnivorous plants.Carnivorous plants usually grow in places where the soil is thin.They can be found in places with nutrition deficient soil.They are found in swamps, bogs, marshes, and even under the water.Carnivorous plants are found in all the continents of the world except Antarctica.They can be found in warm, hot, humid, and wet climatic conditions.They are mostly found in subtropical and tropical areas.Usually, they do not grow in dry soil. Some species are found in deserts.Facts About Different Types Of Carnivorous PlantsThere are basically four types of carnivorous plants: pitcher plants, sundews, bladderworts, and butterworts. They are distinguished on the basis of their trapping methods.Here are a few facts about these carnivorous plants belonging to each category.Pitcher plantsUsually found near wet bogs, pitcher plants can grow in acidic soil and even survive being burned by fire. These plants trap insects and other animals through a long pitcher which has nectar inside it and a lid on top.When an insect sits on the nectar, the lid closes, capturing the prey. Mosquito larvae, frogs, and spiders sometimes hide inside a pitcher plant which this plant then consumes.SundewsThey have spikes and a round belly-like structure in the center to trap their prey. These spikes have a sticky surface that traps prey. Sundews can grow in marshy areas, in bogs, and in swampy areas. They are found in various colors, sizes, and shapes. Their flowers bloom between December and January.BladderwortsThey are found on land as well as under the water. Bladderworts trap their prey through bladder-like structures. They often capture water fleas, mosquito larva, tadpoles, and small fish. These plants don’t have roots. They have a lifespan of around one to two years.ButterwortsThis plant has yellow-green leaves which are shaped like a star. The butterwort secretes sticky fluids to capture its prey. Butterworts live in acidic environments and damp areas. They have purple flowers which bloom between May and July. These plants are also known as bog violets and marsh violets.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what do carnivorous plants eat: find out if you should be scared then why not take a look at plants that repel bees or interesting plants.
Carnivorous plants are those plants that capture and eat animals and small organisms including insects.
