Content
- This is how the digestion of a Venus flytrap works
- This is how the plant checks its prey
- What happens when digesting a venus flytrap?
- After seven catches is over
- Tips
The venus flytrap dissolves its prey with the help of a secretion
This is how the digestion of a Venus flytrap works
In contrast to other carnivorous plants Venus fly traps catch their prey with folding traps.The inside of the trap resembling a trap iron is red and magically attracts insects. But as soon as they settle on the felt-haired surface, the trap snaps and the venus flytrap begins to digest.
This is how the plant checks its prey
Not every object that falls into the clutches of the Venus flytrap is an edible prey. Before the digestion starts, the plant checks to see if it is actually an edible insect.
There are various receptors inside the trap that react to chemical and movement stimuli. If the caught object is not edible, the trap reopens after a few hours.
What happens when digesting a venus flytrap?
If it turns out that the prey is a digestible insect, the digestive process begins. For a secretion is released, the
contains. The secretion dissolves the prey and deprives her of the nutrients. This process takes up to ten days. After that, the trap opens again.
Only indigestible remains like the chitin shell or the legs remain. Do not remove this remnant because then the trap will close again.
After seven catches is over
Unfortunately, the lifetime of the traps of a Venus flytrap is not unlimited. It opens only a maximum of seven times. At the latest after the seventh time the trap and the leaf die. This is a normal process and not due to a care mistake.
So do not play around with the traps too often and do not put your finger in the catch trap for fun. Feed - if at all - only live insects, which are maximally a third as large as the trap door.
If the trap dies beforehand, it may be due to an oversupply or because the trapped insect was simply too big.
Tips
The closing of the trap of a venus flytrap happens so fast that you can hardly follow this process with the eyes. The movement is one of the fastest possible in the animal kingdom.