Flickr credit: Pellaea

You may have heard of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) and its carnivorous eating habits, but did you know that there are other plants that hunt? In fact, the bladderwort plant (Utricularia) is 100 times faster than the Venus flytrap.

The bladderwort plant lives in fresh water and is such a successful hunter that it doesn’t grow any roots. This plant catches its prey by using tiny capsules, which have doors on them that are lined with very sensitive bristles. If a small water creature touches the bristles “smooosh” goes the door and the prey is tightly sealed inside. The bladderwort then secrets acids to digests its prey and within two hours the plant is ready to reset the trap to try and catch another tasty snack.

http://www.asknature.org/strategy/001274b75a7dd4f8fc46a5a4a0446489#changeTab

http://www.ncbnaturalis.nl/en/press/pressreleases/semporna-may-have-richest-marine-biodiversity-world/

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