These unique plants have evolved extraordinary adaptations to thrive in nutrient-poor environments by capturing and digesting insects and other small animals.
Carnivorous plants have developed a variety of trapping mechanisms to capture their prey.
Insects are attracted by nectar and bright colors, then fall into the pit where they are digested.
The sundew (genus Drosera) and butterwort (genus Pinguicula) have sticky glandular hairs on their leaves.
Insects get stuck on these hairs, and the plant slowly digests them.
The corkscrew plant (Genlisea) has twisted tubular leaves that guide prey into digestive chambers, preventing escape.
One of the primary reasons carnivorous plants have evolved to consume animals is the nutrient-poor environments in which they grow.