• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Science / Why do Carnivorous Plants Eat Insects when they get their Food and Nutrients from the Soil like other Plants?

Why do Carnivorous Plants Eat Insects when they get their Food and Nutrients from the Soil like other Plants?

August 16, 2020 by Karen Hill

Carnivorous plants do get nutrients and energy from the soil and air.

However, carnivorous plants live in boggy areas where the soil lacks many nutrients that most plants need to survive.

Bug supplements make it possible for these plants to live in their natural habitat.

Charles Darwin first wrote about carnivorous plants in 1875. There are over 300 proto-carnivorous plant species that show some but not all these characteristics.

There are five basic trapping mechanisms are found in carnivorous plants, and the traps may be active or passive, depending on whether movement of the plant helps the capture of prey.

1. Pitfall traps, or pitcher plants, trap prey in a rolled leaf that contains a pool of digestive enzymes or bacteria that slowly digest the victim.

2. Flypaper traps use a sticky mucilage like that on a frog’s tongue.

3. Snap traps utilize rapid leaf movements to surprise and trap their prey.

4. Bladder traps suck in prey with a bladder that generates an internal vacuum.

5. Lobster-pot traps force prey to move towards a digestive organ with inward-pointing hairs.

Related Facts

  • Where do Germs, Bacteria, and Viruses come from and How do they make us sick?
  • Are There Plants That Eat Animals?
  • How do Carnivorous Plants like the Venus Fly Trap Catch and Trap Bugs for Food?
  • Are there any carnivorous plants that are harmful to humans?
  • How Is Soil Formed and Where Does Soil Come From?
  • How Do Trees Grow From Rocks and How Do Plants Survive On Rocks With No Nutrients or Water?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Are Peach Pits Poisonous to Humans and do they Contain Cyanide?
Next Post: Are there any Carnivorous Plants that Eat Animals like in the Little Shop of Horrors? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy