Endangered Species: Venus flytrap
By: Bianca Guitz
Facts:
•Venus Flytrap plants are native to North America
• The only place they grown are in North & South Carolina
•It is a carnivorous plant (eats insects )
•The trap only works 4-6 times & after that it withers & falls off
•It takes 10 days for the trap to digest & reopen
•They can live 20-30 years if in the right conditions
•They tolerate fire well
•It is not a tropical plant
•The name refers to the Roman goddess of love & plant life
Endangerment:
These plants are classified under conservation status due to their decline in numbers. Many people are fascinated with this plant and would take it from its natural habitat which caused them to become endangered. It is now illegal to take it from its natural habitat. The state Natural Heritage program's 2013 data reports that about 40% of the remaining population are labeled as having a poor chance of survival. The main reason for the decline rate is poachers that go on public pr private lands and steal the plants. Since the flytrap thrives in Savannah's that burn frequently, the Nature Conservancy took measures to help this plant grow. They conduct controlled burns on acres of land to help in the effort of conserving these plants. Although there is a fine for taking these plants out of their natural habitat, it's not much so people are working to raise the penalty to jail time & higher fines.
Bibliography
"Venus Flytrap." WWF -. WWF Global, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
Drabold, Will. "Vanishing Venus: Flytraps Creeping toward Extinction."StarNewsOnline.com. N.p., 19 June 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
Jennings, Ashley. "Endangered Venus Flytrap Poached for Profit." ABC News. ABC News Network, 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.