Venus fly traps, or as they are known by their official classification, Dionaea muscipula, are known for trapping flies, since this is of course, what they are named after.
Since there’s so much focus on what they trap and consume, we often overlook what might eat them.
Because of this, we have put this guide together to give you more information about what eats the venus fly trap, as well as some additional information about the plant itself.
The species is actually considered as being under threat when it comes to its presence in the wild. It is being evaluated by the US fish and wildlife service to see if it should be classified as an endangered species.
The threat to venus fly traps is not actually from it being attacked by animal consumers, but actually from a reduction of its natural habitat. This habitat has been lost due to pollution, as well as fire suppression.
The habitat has also been the victim of commercial, residential, and agricultural developments. This has made the habitat more dense, and this has led to more competing flora too.
There is also the chance of poaching being a threat to venus fly traps as well with removing them from the wild often being seen as a felony in certain areas.
This is why it is a monitored species when looking at Appendix II of the convention of international trade endangered species.
This is why when it comes to buying a venus fly trap, it is recommended that buyers avoid plants that have a weedy look, and go for venus fly traps that are grown in a commercial setting by a reputable grower and in a soil texture that is uniform.
These plants tend to be native to the Carolinas, and they are a carnivorous consumer that has a diet that consists of different insects and spiders.
However, venus fly traps can be eaten and consumed by animals like squirrels and raccoons, as well as some birds. They are also the target of some insects like aphids or spider mites.
However, there is more information about venus fly traps than just this, so if you are interested in learning more about this carnivorous flora, then keep reading!
More About Venus Fly Traps
So, we have now given you all the main information about venus fly traps and what threatens them, however, that is not all the information that is available for these plants, and there is more to learn.
You can better understand how and why venus fly traps are threatened by knowing more about their other characteristics, so if you want to know this, keep reading!
Classification
So, as we mentioned in the introduction, the official classification scientific name of venus fly traps is dionaea muscipula, however, let’s look at how it gets there. So, the kingdom venus fly traps are in is plantae, then its phylum is tracheophyta.
After this we can understand that its class is magnoliopsida, and its order is caryophyllales. Its family is droseraceae, and the genus is dionaea. Finally, after its genus, we have its specific scientific name being the aforementioned Dionaea muscipula.
Facts And Characteristics
So, as we referenced, the most common location and habitat for venus fly traps is in North America, but the Carolinas specifically. These plants prey on insects and arachnids, and the name of young venus fly traps are seeds or seedlings.
The reason why venus fly traps are so well known is because they are a rare type of plant that is carnivorous meaning that they consume animals.
They have an estimated population size of just 35,000 and the reason why their population is so low is because of pollution, habitat loss, and even poaching.
Their most distinct feature is the cilia they have that appear to look like teeth. The gestation period of a venus fly trap is just a few days and they are capable of producing a few seeds at a time.
They prefer to grow in wetlands, and their natural predators are birds, insects, and smaller mammals. There is only 1 species of venus fly trap. They are colored red, green and white, and they tend to naturally live between five and 20 years.
On average, they weigh around 2 pounds, and they can stand between 6 and 12 inches tall.
Behavior
Like most plants, the venus fly trap spends most of its time in a stationary position and only responds to simple stimuli. However, it is able to pollinate itself.
It is able to rely on other forces like the wind or an animal pollinator to spread pollen to other flora to reproduce, however, the main feature that helps it stand out is that it digests other animals. It lures in insects using the scent of its nectar.
The venus fly trap is able to distinguish between different types of stimuli well which is why it is able to respond to them well. For example, it will not be triggered by rain, however, it can be triggered by its prey instead.
The hair of a venus fly trap will need to be triggered multiple times within 20 seconds to actually make the trap close. The speed at which the lobes of the venus fly trap can shut is less than a tenth of a second making it a very effective predator.
However, if the prey is too small, the venus fly trap will not bother to digest it, and it will give it enough room to escape, however, it will also not trap anything too big that could destroy it.
Summary
Hopefully this guide has given you all the answers you need about venus fly traps and what threatens and consumes them.
As you have seen, this is a potentially endangered species of plant, however, the main reason for this is not their natural predators, but the human influence ruining their habitat.
So, while of course, venus fly traps can be victims of their natural predators, in the modern day, venus fly traps are more likely to be in danger of pollution, fire suppression, or another human method of destroying their natural habitat.