Researchers Discover How Venus Flytrap Executes Its Quick Snap

WHO:

KSL.com - Yoël Forterre, physicist at the French research agency CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, is the senior author of the study.

The Guardian - Dr. Yoël Forterre is also mentioned as a physicist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Aix-Marseille University.

WHAT:

KSL.com - Researchers discovered the physical mechanism behind the Venus flytrap's snapping action.

KSL.com - The trap can close in as little as one tenth of a second.

The Guardian - The study reveals that the outer surface of the leaf softens rapidly, allowing the trap to close quickly.

WHERE:

KSL.com - The Venus flytrap is native to a limited region of North Carolina and South Carolina in the United States.

KSL.com - Experiments were conducted in Marseille.

WHEN:

KSL.com - The study was published on Thursday in the journal Science.

WHY:

KSL.com - The research aims to resolve a question that has intrigued scientists, including Charles Darwin, regarding the rapid movement of the Venus flytrap.

HOW:

KSL.com - Researchers used high-speed imaging, mechanical measurements by indentation, and mechanical modeling to study the plant.

KSL.com - The trap's closure is initiated by a rapid softening of the cell walls in the outer layer of the trap.

The Guardian - The study involved immobilizing the plant's leaves with dental glue to measure the trap's response without movement.

The Guardian - A device called a nanoindenter was used to measure the pressure on the leaf's outer surface, showing that the cells became more flexible rather than deflating due to water movement.

(UPDATED June 12, 2026 06:36 UTC)

Researchers have uncovered the physical mechanism behind the Venus flytrap's remarkable ability to snap shut in as little as one tenth of a second, as detailed in a study led by physicist Dr. Yoël Forterre from the French National Centre for Scientific Research and Aix-Marseille University. Conducted in Marseille, the research utilized high-speed imaging and mechanical measurements to reveal that the rapid closure is triggered by a softening of the cell walls in the outer layer of the trap, rather than a loss of water pressure. This study, which aims to answer a question that has fascinated scientists since the time of Charles Darwin, was published in the journal Science on Thursday.