For 200 years, scientists have been studying how the trapping mechanism of venus flytraps work. It is now known today that touching trigger hairs twice within 30 seconds would make the trap snap in an instant. New research from the University of Zurich (UZH) and ETH Zurich, however, found another way that could make the trap snap immediately: by touching it slowly.
"Contrary to popular belief, slowly touching a trigger hair only once can also cause two signals and thus lead to the snapping of the trap," says co-last author Ueli Grossniklaus, director of the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at UZH.
Scientists theorize that this happens to catch slow-moving larvae and snails.
More details about this over at ScienceDaily.
Nature is sometimes scary. It’s good that these kinds of plants are not dangerous to humans.
(Image Credit: Noah Elhardt/ Wikimedia Commons)