Venus Flytrap Facts — Reading Comprehension
Perfect For:
- • Reading comprehension practice
- • Auto-graded assessments
- • Literacy skill development
- • Reading practice at home
- • Comprehension improvement
- • Educational reading time
- • Reading curriculum support
- • Independent reading practice
- • Progress monitoring
Reading Features:
About This Reader
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one of the world's most fascinating carnivorous plants, famous for its lightning-fast traps that snap shut on unsuspecting prey.
Habitat: Where Do Venus Flytraps Live?
Venus flytraps grow only in a tiny region of the United States:
● Coastal North and South Carolina (within 100 miles of Wilmington, Nc)
● Boggy Areas with nutrient-poor, acidic soil
● Sunny, Wet Locations that receive plenty of rainfall
Their limited native range makes them vulnerable to habitat loss.
Venus Flytrap Facts
- Trap Mechanism:
○ Traps snap shut in 0.1 seconds when trigger hairs are touched twice
○ Uses digestive enzymes to dissolve prey (mostly insects and spiders)
○ Each trap can only open and close 4-5 times before dying
- Energy Efficiency:
○ Photosynthesizes like other plants but gets nutrients from prey
○ Goes dormant in winter to conserve energy
- Size:
○ Typically grows 5-6 traps at a time
○ Each trap measures 2.5-5 cm (1-2 inches)
Reproduction: How Does a Venus Flytrap Reproduce?
Venus flytraps use two methods to multiply:
1. Sexual Reproduction (Flowers & Seeds)
● Produces white flowers on tall stalks in spring
● Requires pollination by insects (avoiding self-pollination)
● Each flower makes 20-30 tiny black seeds
2. Asexual Reproduction (Rhizomes)
● Underground stems grow new plants identical to the parent
● Allows colonies to form slowly over years
Fun Fact: The traps glow blue under UV light to attract insects!
Where are Venus flytraps naturally found?
Florida swampsCarolinas' coastal bogsCalifornia desertsTexas grasslandsWhat triggers a trap to close?
SunlightTwo touches to trigger hairsWater dropletsWind vibrationHow do Venus flytraps reproduce asexually?
By growing flowersThrough underground rhizomesBy dropping leavesVia airborne sporesWhy do the traps glow blue?
To warn animalsTo attract insectsTo repel bacteriaTo reflect moonlightHow fast can a trap close?
1 second0.1 seconds5 minutes1 hourWhat happens to traps after 4-5 closures?
They regrow strongerThey die and are replacedThey turn into flowersThey photosynthesize fasterWhat do Venus flytraps get from insects that they can’t get from soil?
WaterNutrients like nitrogenSunlightCarbon dioxideWhen do they go dormant?
SummerWinterSpringFall
