00:00Well, if you don't have enough to worry about, here's another fear unlocked.
00:06You might turn into the next meal of a meat-eating plant.
00:10This type of plant has appeared in video games like Super Mario.
00:13That's why it looks familiar.
00:15So we wonder, here at Brightside, what would happen if a hypothetical giant Venus flytrap
00:21captured you?
00:23After all, these plants aren't picky eaters.
00:26They have sensitive trigger hairs, which cause the plant's iconic hinged jaws to snap shut.
00:32Its leaves are equipped with tiny bristle-like structures that interlock when the trap closes,
00:38making it difficult for prey to escape.
00:40Once it happens, the plant begins secreting digestive enzymes to break down the prey's
00:46soft tissue.
00:47The digestion process in carnivorous plants takes several days.
00:52During that time, the plant extracts nutrients from the dissolved prey.
00:57In our hypothetical situation, it would take a long time for the plant to consume you.
01:02And since the process would be extremely slow, most likely you'd be able to free yourself
01:07before significant harm occurs.
01:10In any scenario, it would be extremely hard for the plant to digest a human completely.
01:16The anatomy and digestive processes of Venus flytraps are adapted to deal with insects, not large
01:22animals like you.
01:24Even if they were larger, they would still not be able to eat you.
01:28Comforting?
01:29Somewhat.
01:31The Venus flytrap primarily consumes insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates.
01:37Researchers have found out that this plant can digest small pieces of human flesh.
01:42But the largest representatives measure just a few inches.
01:46So it's highly unlikely for a Venus flytrap or similar carnivorous plant to pose any serious
01:53threat to humans.
01:56Barry Rice is an astrobiologist from California.
02:00And he thought about this question too.
02:03In a rather cringe-worthy experiment, Rice supplied his Venus flytraps with skin fragments peeled from
02:09his toes affected by the athlete's foot infection.
02:13Those skin pieces, divided into four equal portions, were carefully inserted into the jaws
02:18of four Venus flytrap plants.
02:21After a week, Rice cautiously pried open the plant's mouth to assess the progress.
02:27To his surprise, the skin chunks were nearly completely digested, contrary to his initial
02:32expectation of them remaining intact.
02:36That means that Venus flytraps can indeed consume human flesh.
02:41Yet the prospect of these plants engulfing an entire human is unequivocally dismissed.
02:47Rice restricted his experiments to a specific tissue type.
02:51And there's no indication that the plant could break down sturdier components like bone or cartilage.
02:57The size limitations and the slow digestion process also act in favor of the person's survival.
03:04Now, when it comes to size, Venus flytraps can grow to about 5 inches in diameter.
03:12Each plant has about 6 stems with leaves that are hinged and lined with tooth-like edges.
03:18These flytraps are originally from North and South Carolina.
03:23But at one point, they decided to take a trip.
03:25And now you can see them in places like Florida and New Jersey.
03:30They like the moist acidic soil vibe found in forest understories.
03:35They need loads of humidity and sunlight to thrive.
03:38They lure insects with their reddish-lined leaves and sweet-smelling nectar.
03:44When a bug lands on their jaws, they don't snap shut right away.
03:48This process turns into a 20-second dance show.
03:52The petals stay open if the bug doesn't make at least two moves.
03:56It prevents random debris from getting trapped.
04:00On the second move, the plant goes from a happy, convex shape to a hungry, concave one,
04:06closing its jaws in less than a second.
04:09The bristles on the leaves act like jail bars, keeping the insect from pulling a Houdini.
04:15On the third move, digestion mode activates.
04:18Juices break down the bug.
04:20The plant reopens after 5-12 days, and whatever couldn't be digested just falls out.
04:26Actually, you can give a Venus flytrap a little touch without hurting yourself.
04:31In fact, they're pretty soft to the touch.
04:34Yes, these types of plants can't eat us, but it doesn't mean they're not spooky.
04:41For instance, this gigantic carnivorous plant can even devour rodents.
04:46It was discovered in the Philippines.
04:49The pitcher plant, rated as the world's second largest, can reach over 16 feet in height.
04:55It attracts prey with special nectar around its mouth.
04:59Once an animal is lured in, the plant's fluid, which contains enzymes and acids, starts breaking
05:05down the drowned victim's carcass.
05:08While such plants can eat rats and frogs, cultivating them as mousetraps is impractical, due to the
05:14sheer number of mice in urban areas.
05:17Here's how plants become meat-eaters.
05:20Around 70 million years ago, during the era of dinosaurs, certain plants underwent a genetic
05:26mutation that turned them into carnivores.
05:29In a study, researchers explored the evolution of carnivorous plants, focusing on three related
05:35species, the Venus flytrap, the waterwheel plant, and the sundew.
05:41First, the plant's entire genetic code doubled, which allowed its genes to become more varied.
05:48Some genes changed to make traps out of leaves and use roots for catching prey.
05:53As the plants got nutrients from the prey, it didn't need as many genes for regular leaves
05:57and roots.
05:59Over time, evolution fine-tuned the roots and leaves for trapping.
06:04This shows how plants that hadn't been carnivores before changed to become really good at catching
06:10and eating animals.
06:11It helped them survive in soils that didn't have many nutrients by getting nutrients from
06:16the animals they caught.
06:20These plants are rare, but they are a big family.
06:23There are more than 700 species found all around the world on every continent except Antarctica.
06:30They're not just hanging out in dammed swamps and jungles.
06:33North America takes the crown for the highest number of different carnivorous plant species.
06:38We're so proud of that!
06:41Venus flytraps are the ones with the iconic snap trap.
06:44Pitcher plants, on the other hand, work with a pitfall trap.
06:48It's straightforward.
06:49Their leaves are hollow and filled with water and digestive acids.
06:52Any bug that falls in ends up drowning and being slowly digested over time.
06:58Some pitcher plants have waxy leaves to make bugs slide inside more easily, while others
07:03use chemicals to reduce water tension, making any insect that lands in their trap instantly
07:08sink and drown.
07:12Let's move on to sticky traps.
07:15Some plants, like sundews, use active sticky traps.
07:18They have tentacles all over their leaves that stick to insects.
07:22The tentacles close when an insect lands on them, suffocating the bug.
07:28Then there are passive sticky traps.
07:30Think of them like sticky mouse traps in a garage.
07:34Insects that land on these tiny, sticky tentacles just get stuck.
07:38And the plant sends out digestive acids to turn them into a liquid snack.
07:43Now let's get to the showstopper – suction traps.
07:47Bladderworts are the stars here, pulling in bugs and other prey faster than you can blink
07:51twice.
07:52They love snacking on mosquito larvae.
07:55But big ones can even grab small tadpoles by the tail and devour them from bottom to top.
08:02Have you had your lunch yet?
08:04Okay.
08:05Then there's the lobster pot trap.
08:07This one is a unique trap, where the plant's roots are hollow and have openings.
08:13Sharp hairs force tiny bugs and larvae into the roots.
08:16The bugs can't turn around, and they end up heading straight for the plant's stomach.
08:21Fun fact – not all carnivorous plants need digestive enzymes.
08:26Some team up with helpful bacteria and focus on physical traps instead.
08:33Carnivorous plants don't grow only on land – there are underwater ones, too.
08:38The waterwheel plant and bladderworts live beneath the surface.
08:43Even deserts have their own carnivorous plant players.
08:47If you see carnivorous plants in the wild, resist the urge to take them home.
08:52Unfortunately, many of these plants are endangered because people poach them from their natural
08:57habitats.
08:58Even the famous Venus flytrap is at risk of extinction.
09:02There are no carnivorous plants dangerous for us humans.
09:06But this one might give you a fright because of its terrifying appearance.
09:11On the other hand, it may help you resist the temptation to take these plants home as souvenirs.
09:16Sweet dreams!
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