Transcript Carnivorous Plants

Carnivorous
Plants
Graham Oden
December 17,2008
What are Carnivorous Plants?
• Carnivorous plants are plants that can eat
insects and/or small animals.
How do Carnivorous plants get
their energy?
• They get their energy the same way the
other plants do...
Photosynthesis
Why do Carnivorous plants eat
insects and other small animals?
• They eat insects and other small animals
because they live in places where the soil
is low in nutrients.
• Carnivorous plants get the needed
nutrients from their “PREY”.
What types are there?
Pitfall Traps
(pitcher plant)
The pitcher plant is
basically a slippery leaf
wrapped into a tube
shape that contains a
pool of digestive
enzymes at the bottom.
Pitcher Plant Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN9bI4j00mY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3BMTKnMb0A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya2ndp1OrPQ
Pitfall Trap
(Cobra Lily)
Most Pitfall Traps
have the opening
on the top of the
plant, the Cobra
Lily has an
opening on the
bottom. When an
insect flies into it,
it has “windows”
that let light in but
not insects out.
The insects are
attracted to the
light but cant get
out.
Cobra Lily Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqo-75xZ15M
Fly Paper traps
(sundew)
Fly Paper traps
are coated with a
sticky substance
called “mucilage".
When an insect
lands on the plant
it sticks to it, after
a while the plant
will curl around it
and digest it.
Sundew Video
(time lapse)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ8kY_BcanQ
Snap traps
(Venus fly trap)
As you can see the
Venus Fly Trap has
small trigger hairs on
the inside, so if an
insect lands on it and
triggers only one hair
and flies off its lucky
but if it triggers more
than one it will cause
its own doom.
Venus Fly Trap Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUWQFF0RJN4
Bladder traps
(Bladderwort)
The Bladderwort is like an under water
Venus Fly Trap. The bladders suck in and
trap water insects.
Bladderwort Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAE1CA4Qus
Assignment
• Draw your own carnivorous plant using
only plant parts.