Page 10 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators

Carnivorous plants

Even plants have evolved some amazing ways to catch live prey

2

Many plants employ
a natural glue-like
substance to hold prey

A sticky situation
2> The ‘flypaper’ approach is one of the
most common traps that carnivorous
plants will employ. It works in exactly
the way that you would think: bright
colours and a super-sticky organic goop
that looks like honeydew or water sets
the trap, luring insects into a false feast.
1 Once landed the prey is immobilised,
and a leaf will typically curl over the
prey to digest and extract valuable
nutrients for the plant.
Nepenthes
1> Some species like the
tropical pitcher plants
of Southeast Asia use 3
a ‘pitfall trap’ to catch
prey. The large, modified
leaf adopts a jug-like
shape which is filled with
digestive fluid. Designed
to attract prey such as
foraging insects like
moths, beetles and flies,
the unsuspecting critters
drop into the bucket-
like leaf where they are
promptly digested.

All images © Getty Monkeys have been These plants lure insects

observed drinking from
into tubes that lead right to
pitcher plants
their doom

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