Big Eaters

• One of the largest carnivorous plants in the world is the Nepenthes, a vining carnivore that grows up to 50 feet long. The Nepenthes is in the same plant family as the smaller carnivores, pitcher plants. Nepenthes grows native in Southeast Asia, eating mainly frogs and insects, though birds and rodents may become prey as well. The plant is identifiable by its cup-like pitchers which collect water to entice curious prey. The triphyophyllum peltatym, an African native, has carnivorous leaves with long tendrils. Triphyophyllum peltatym is the largest carnivorous plant in the world, growing as long as 200 feet, though it produces the carnivorous leaves to trap insects on rare occasions.
  
  

Famous Carnivores

• The most well-known carnivorous plant is the Venus flytrap, which is recognizable for its bright flowers and green tendrils. The Venus flytrap is interesting because of the way it traps prey, slamming its leaves shut around insects like powerful jaws. Once the fine, sensitive hairs on the leaves are triggered and the leaf snaps closed, insects cannot escape. The Venus flytrap digests insects immediately, flooding the leaf chamber with juices that kill and break down whatever is trapped inside.
  
  

Man-Eating Plants

• One of the big fascinations with carnivorous plants (and, the biggest fear) is the possibility that they might be man-eating as well as insect-eating. The amorphophallus titanum, also known as the corpse flower, may help spread these fears with its large, ominous looks. The plant grows as tall as 9 feet tall and produces flowers that bloom nearly 3 feet wide. The corpse flower gives off a decomposing scent which inspired the name. Native to Indonesia, the corpse flower rarely blooms outside its home region. Corpse flower plants also grow quickly, as much as 4 inches daily. Despite its size and the rotting smell it gives off, the corpse flower isn't carnivorous.
  
  

The Real Dangers

• Even the biggest carnivorous plants are not capable of trapping humans (even very small ones), as large rodents are too much for most of them to trap and eat. The real danger is that of human beings to carnivorous plants. Common pitcher plants and the famous Venus flytrap live in wetland areas, which are slowly being depleted, and the demand for such plants has greatly thinned their natural numbers.