Are Venus Fly Traps Poisonous?

Venus flytraps are scary looking plants. Their odd shape and teeth-looking traps can look quite intimidating. These strange plants look a lot more harmful than they are. Venus flytraps are, in fact, one of the safest plants to have around (unless you’re a fly!).

Venus flytraps are not poisonous. They contain no toxins that are harmful to both humans and pets. If a cat or dog chews on a Venus flytrap, it will not affect them. There has been, on rare occasions, minor gastrointestinal upset in animals after consumption, however nothing serious.

Are Venus Fly Traps Poisonous To Humans?

Venus flytraps are quite a misunderstood plant. These plants may give off the vibe that they are dangerous and poisonous to humans, but this is not the case.

Venus flytraps are not poisonous. These funny looking plants do not contain any poison that is toxic to humans.

In fact, the Venus flytrap has been traditionally used to strengthen the immune system and is being researched in other medicinal fields. Although no conclusive evidence has been found about its benefits yet, it does demonstrate their lack of toxicity as it is being investigated for health benefits.

Regardless of the potential health benefits of this plant, it is not a good idea for someone to eat their Venus flytrap. Even non-toxic plants can upset a human’s stomach, so it’s best not to try ingesting a Venus flytrap no matter how safe it may seem.

Are Venus Fly Traps Poisonous To Cats And Dogs?

The Venus flytrap is not toxic to dogs or cats. No compound within a Venus flytrap will cause severe harm to dogs, cats or other animals.

Venus flytraps are a safe plant to have around both cats and dogs. This plant is safe around most pets unless small enough to fit inside the Venus flytrap, such as frogs.

However, it is never a clever idea to let one’s dog or cat chew on a Venus flytrap. As mentioned before, even non-toxic plants can upset a pet’s stomach. On rare occasions, pets have been found to have upset stomachs after eating a Venus flytrap.

Due to the size of the Venus flytrap, it is relatively hard for it to cause any harm. Even if a dog or cat manages to eat the entire Venus flytrap (which is very unlikely), the smallness of the plant removes a lot of risk for issues.

A fun fact is that cats dislike Venus flytraps. Cats are known to be averse to sour taste. A cat will, therefore, maybe try a nibble of this plant but will immediately stop when they taste the sourness.

Are Venus Fly Traps Poisonous To Rabbits?

A commonly asked question is whether Venus flytraps are poisonous to rabbits? The answer is no; they are not toxic to rabbits.

Rabbits, however, are known to nibble and chew on just about anything. If someone has a rabbit, then it is best to keep most plants that do not form part of their regular diet out of reach.

Non-toxic plants can cause a mild upset in a rabbit’s stomach, especially if they eat a lot. It is advisable to keep a Venus flytrap out of reach just in case a bunny finds these plants yummy!

Are Venus Fly Traps Alive?

Venus flytraps are alive, just like most plants! These plants need to eat to stay alive and have a reddish lining and fragrance to attract prey. Its primary food source is ants, but it will also eat beetles, flies, tiny frogs, and slugs.

A common misconception is that Venus flytraps use poison to kill their prey, but this is not true! So how do these strange plants catch and eat their food?

Venus flytraps have hairs on the inside of their leaf traps. When a bug or tiny animal lands on the inside of its leaf, it will stimulate these little hairs. These hairs must be stimulated twice by the animal’s movement before the plant reacts. This prevents false trapping.

Once the hairs have been stimulated twice, then the leaf traps will close fully around the animal.

So now the Venus flytrap has its meal; how does it eat? The continuous movement of the trapped insect will trigger the Venus flytrap to release digestive enzymes, not poison! These digestive enzymes help the Venus flytrap break down its meal and allow for digestion.

Digestion can take a few days – around three to five days. Once the Venus flytrap has finished its meal, it will open its leaves and await its next victim!

Is It Fine To Touch A Venus Fly Trap?

Human’s can touch a Venus flytrap, and nothing will happen to them. Even though a Venus flytrap looks threatening, a human touch is more of a threat to it than it is to the human.

Carnivorous venus fly traps and sundews
Yay Carnivorous venus fly traps and sundews

If someone sticks their finger in a Venus flytrap and wiggles it around, then they could trigger the tiny hairs and make the little traps close, but that’s about all that will happen to them. These hairs are not sharp, and they will barely feel them close.

As for the digestive enzymes discussed previously, these will only be released when the trap is firmly closed. When a finger is in the way, the trap will not fully close, and these enzymes will, therefore, not touch their skin.

As for the Venus flytrap, however, people can cause it damage when sticking their fingers in. The little traps are very delicate and can break easily. When someone pulls their finger out, they are likely to damage a part of these traps, which could kill the Venus flytrap.

Another thing is that a Venus flytrap can only close accidentally, with no food inside, around ten times in its life span before it dies.

By someone sticking their finger in, they are reducing the Venus flytraps life span because it will be forced to make a false closure and use up energy but receive no food.