Venus Flytrap Can Count To Five
It counts touches before snapping — and counts again to decide how much digestive juice to make.
Reviewed by the CurioVault curator · 8 October 2026 · Editorial standards
Venus flytraps have trigger hairs. One touch = ignore (could be debris). Two touches within 20 seconds = snap shut. Then it counts further: 3 touches = start producing digestive fluid, 5 touches = make more enzymes. This counting saves energy — a plant doing arithmetic to avoid false alarms. Discovered by Alexander Volkov in 2016.
Sources & Further Reading
Connected Curiosities
The Plant That Eats Sheep
Puya chilensis has spines that trap sheep — then it feeds on them as they decay.
Bones Are Stronger Than Steel Ounce For Ounce
Ounce for ounce, your thigh bone is stronger than steel.
You Glow — Humans Are Bioluminescent
Humans literally glow, but our eyes aren't good enough to see it.
This curio is written in original words for CurioVault. Facts themselves are not copyrightable, but our wording is. If you reuse, please credit CurioVault.co.