Mission : Endangered Species
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Mission : Endangered Species
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Venus Fly Trap Dionaea Muscipula
The Venus Fly Trap belongs to the Doseraceae, or Sundew, family of plants. There are over 150 species. The Venus Fly Trap grows in between Florida and North and South Carolina. They grow well in acidic, boggy areas. It is a carnivorous plant, which means it eats insects. If a fly lands on its leaves, it touches the adaxial receptors, which are small hairs on the plant. These receptors have to be touched three times before the chemical reaction occurs that makes the Venus Fly Trap close its leaves in a quick motion. The fly is then stuck in the leaf and can’t get out. The bug is then "digested" by the plant. The plant can digest things three times before it dies. Their natural habitats are being destroyed by development in its region. If you want one, it is best to buy one from a plant nursery rather than take one from its natural habitat. You can buy a Venus Fly Trap at big hardware chain stores, and they cost about three to five dollars. You have to transplant your plant in the spring in a peat moss mix. If you want to feed your plant, you should let it have a live bug, because the motion helps its feeding instinct.
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