Venezuela: Mt Roraima – Bladderwort Plants

Roraima plants are just amazing, and carnivorous bladderworts are among the top of the list. There are 4 species of bladderworts living here, all endemic, 1 at the mountain foothills and 3 on top. Bladderworts are considered the most sophisticated plants in the world as they have developed a unique carnivorous mechanism – the body of the plant is either in the water or water filled soil where tiny bubbles (bladders) detect any motion of tiny insects or even smaller organisms and then suck in the animals into the traps that afterwords close shut (the entire process takes 10/1000 of a second) and the prey is devoured. All this happens out of sight, while the only thing you see is the flower above the ground – very delicate and orchid-like.


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