Why is venus flytrap classified a plant rather than an animal?

Question

Also, what constitutes the difference between classifying a species as a plant or animal (is it presence of chloroplasts, ability to move, etc?)

Answer 1

A venus fly trap synthesises its own food, animals do not. In it natural enviroment there are nutrients which it needs that are lacking in the soil which it needs that it gets from bugs. Other plants have the same adaptation or trapping flies, my favourite being the Pitcher Plant - official plant of my province. Typically these "eating" plants live in bogs.

Plants have a cell wall, animals do not. Plants synthesis food via photosynthesis or sometimes chemosynthesis, animals can not. All animals, even a sponge, is freely mobile at some point in its life cycle, plants are not (seeds do not count as are not "freely" mobile). Animals are chorodates, having some sort of nervous system or notochord at some stage of their development, plants do not. Animals have some sort of rigid extracellular matrix, such as a skeleton or exoskelton, plants do not. Animals pass through a blastula stage in their development, plants do not.

That is all the differences I can remember off the top of my head.

The Greeks separated Plants from Animals as "does not move to catch food" and "moves to catch food" and made no other distinctions, such as fungus. Sadly many people still rely on this sort of classification system for daily use. Going on that theory, I can see how a Venus Flytrap would appear to have animal characteristics.

Answer 2

a living thing is classified into an animal or plant by looking at cells. Animal cells are considerably different from plant cells.
the flytrap's cells resemble plant cells. Also the flytrap lacks a central nervous system. It also has xylem and phloem.Vascular tissue only found in plants

Answer 3

the question is moot.
there are no animal like charachteristics in a flytrap.

1. Almost all plants have the ability to move
Ex. the roots of trees, vines... venus flytraps!

2. All plants can sense their environment
Ex. gravity, location of water, location of light, location of pressure...

3. A fair sized number of plants can respond to their environment
Ex. response to water ...

Answer 4

Have you ever seen a venus flytrap??? It is definitely a plant.

Answer 5

It's a plant. And technically it doesn't 'eat'. It excretes enzymes that breaks down the bodies of insects it captures then absorbs the nutrients. Bats are mammals. Bat's wings are completely different from birds wings. Bird wings are made from feathers, while bats wings are simply a membrane that stretch between their fingers.

Answer 6

Plants do not have a central nervous system.