Plants and Their Prey

Carnivorous plants catch small animals. They are able to eat them. Why do they need to do this?

All plants have roots. Roots soak up water from the soil. They soak up nutrients, too. Nutrients help plants grow.

In some places, the soil does not have a lot of nutrients. Swamps are one example. So plants there get nutrients from prey instead. They capture bugs. Some capture small animals, such as mice.

The animals help the plants survive. But don’t worry. The plants are harmless to people. They only catch and eat small creatures.