Carnivorous plants have all the trappings of regular plants. They have leaves and stems, and some even have flowers. Though there’s one difference between them and non-carnivorous plants: they eat animals small enough to fit in their traps, rather than deriving nutrients from their habitat. From protozoans to frogs and mice, nutrients absorbed from their prey counterbalance the lack of nutrients in their environment. In the bogs and fens that are their habitats, sunshine is readily available. But excessive amounts of water limit nourishment. So, they’ve adapted to consume prey via specialized leaves that secrete enzymes. These secretions aid in digestion, much like the acids in a human stomach.
You might think carnivorous plants are fierce and don’t need a lot of protection from the elements. They’ve adapted to consume nutrients in ways no other plants have, haven’t they? But there are a few key risk factors carnivorous plants face, and more so as the climate continues to change.
