What is the largest animal ever eaten by a Venus flytrap?
Dionaea muscipula is one of the few carnivorous species in the plant world, so it's only natural to wonder about the biggest creatures they can lure & eat.
Asked by: James Massey, by email
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The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) has evolved to digest insects and so it grows traps appropriate to this prey.
If a trap closes around prey that’s larger than about a third of the size of the trap (2-3cm), it may not be able to close tightly enough to prevent the animal from escaping.
Nevertheless, larger strains have occasionally been found with the skeletons of small frogs inside them.
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