Because most carnivorous plants live in nutrient-poor habitats, they rely on insects (and sometimes small vertebrates such as rats, lizards, and birds) for sustenance. The plants have devised ingenious ways of obtaining their meals. We feature here a few of the carnivorous plants found in the Biology Building greenhouse.

• Dionea muscipula (Venus flytrap)
• Nepenthes species (tropical pitcher plant)
• Sarracenia purpurea (northern purple pitcher plant)