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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.
 The fact that there are few
flesh-eating plants make them
fascinating and interesting to
everyone.

The
Venus Fly
Trap
The Venus Fly Trap
is the most well
known species of
carnivorous plants.

These insectivorous
plants lure their prey
using a sweet smelling
nectar. When an
insect lands on the
head of the fly trap,
they seek the source
of the nectar, and if
the plant is lucky, it
will touch one of the
many trigger hairs
located within the
jaws of the trap.

Once
triggered,
the trap
snaps
closed,
trapping
the
victim.

The plant then
secretes an
enzyme which
essentially
'dissolves' the
insect, turning
it into a
digestible
dinner.

After a
few
days,
the fly
trap will
reopen, to
await
it's
next
victim.
Yummm
mm!
Is this cricket taking a nap????
Pitcher Plant
or Fly Catcher

The inner
part of
these
beautiful
pitchers are
covered with
stiff hairs
and are
half-filled
with a liquid.

The insects are attracted by the beautiful
flower and the sweet fluid. The hairs on
the inner surface of the pitcher allow the
insect to travel down but they prevent its
traveling upward and out.

Therefore it continues downward into the
fluid where it drowns. The plant absorbs
the soft parts of the body and the
skeleton remains in the bottom of the
pitcher.

Pitcher plants are often found with
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 Dew

Small insects,
such as gnats
are attracted
by the
beautiful dewlike substance
on the leaves
of this plant.

Once they have come in contact
with this sticky substance,
however, they cannot escape.

After a short time the leaf slowly
folds, completely encloses the insect
and digests its body.
Bladderwort


In the springtime the prairies are carpeted
in the yellow flower of the bladderwort.
This plant lives in shallow waters
and swamps of the Southeast.
The leaves have small air sacs or bladders
in which minute water creatures such as
larvae, nematodes, water fleas, protozoa,
and small worms are trapped.

Each bladder has a small opening
through which the tiny animal can
enter but cannot escape.


Each bladder has a small opening through which
the tiny animal can enter but cannot escape.
Eventually the trapped organisms die and their
bodies decompose forming the nitrogenous food
for the bladderwort.
Sites for Kids on
Carnivorous Plants

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Carnivorous Plants PPTs Great Site for Kids
Carnivorous Plants Great pictures
Chomp! Meat-Eating Plants
Plants for Kids
Venus Flytrap and other Weird Plants
Facts About Carnivarous Plants
Plants: Carnivorous
The Carnivorous Plants Website