Venus Flytraps 'Count' to 5 Before Dissolving Prey

A Venus flytrap captures a fly. (Credit: Patila/Shutterstock) For a Venus flytrap, enjoying a meal is as easy as counting to five. As the insectivorous hunters of the plant world, Venus flytraps have evolved some radical features to attract and ensnare meals. They waft a sweet, fruity aroma into the air to lure hungry flies looking for a meal. They've grown touch-sensitive hairs on the inside of their “mouths” to tell them when its time to bite down. Now, it appears they also initiate a countdown of sorts as their captured prey struggles. Venus flytraps, according to research published Thursday in the journal Current Biology, rely on a counting mechanism to determine whether something they've captured is worth eating or not.