Venus Flytrap

This passage discusses an interesting plant known as Venus Flytrap.

Lexile Level: 970L

Categories: Animals & Nature

The Venus Flytrap is not a bug that eats plants; it's a plant that eats bugs! Venus flytraps eat spiders, flies, caterpillars, crickets, and slugs. The Venus Flytrap has built-in motion detectors called trigger hairs. If an insect lands on its leaves, they shut and trap the animal, forming a tight seal. Juices break down the soft parts of the animal, leaving only the hard outer parts. The trap reopens, and the remains of the insect are usually either washed away by rain or blown away by wind. It takes Venus Flytrap from five to twelve days to digest an insect, depending on the size of the insect, the temperature, and how old the trap is. You may be able to wiggle your finger and make the trap close. The plant can't hurt you, but you might hurt the plant. Doing this too often can make the plant less able to detect motion, and it might die.