News · 12 June 2026
Flytrap cells soften to make rapid snap
Unsplash / Sebastian Schuster
Scientists have finally figured out the clever trick Venus flytraps use to snap shut quickly, a puzzle that even stumped Charles Darwin. New research found that when a bug lands, cells on the leaf's outer surface instantly soften, making the trap flip closed in under a second. This rapid cellular change is very surprising, according to Dr Yoël Forterre, who led the research.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs