We all know that most animals eat plants. But have you ever heard of a plant that eats animals? Actually more than 645 species and subspecies of carnivorous plants have been identified. The most famous of these is probably the amazing Vinus Flytrap of North Carolina.

The average flytrap plant has 29 traps. These look like eyelids with lashes. Bugs are attracted to the fly trap, not by the smell but by the shiny leaves. In the base of the pod are three tiny hairs. Brushing against one of them does nothing. But when one is touched twice, or two are touched in succession, the pod closes in half a second, trapping the insect inside. This strategy generally prevents an inanimate object (such as pebbles or small sticks) from activating the trap. If nothing is inside, it will open again in 24 hours. If it caught something, a fringe of stiff hairs around the edge of the blade become interlocked when the blade folds close, thus trapping the insect like bars in a jail cell. As the insect moves, the trap closes tighter, suffocating its victim. Digestive enzymes from glands on the leaf surface then break down the proteins of the imprisoned insect. In about 20 days, the pod has finished its digestion and reopens, ready for another meal.
How do you explain the eating habits of this plant apart from God? A plant that eats insects must have been designed that way from the beginning.
Want to grow one? Here are detailed instructions: http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2000.html
One plant won’t control your insect population (won’t replace Prompt Action Pest Control), but they are amazing to watch. If you don’t have enough insects to satisfy its appetite, you can always feed it hamburger. We will look at another very different but amazingly designed carnivorous plant in two weeks.