What is the approximate response time of a Venus flytrap trap snapping shut?

A Venus flytrap trap can snap shut in approximately 100 milliseconds, or one-tenth of a second. That rapid movement makes it one of the most recognizable examples of fast movement in a plant.

The trap is formed from the terminal part of a leaf, divided into two lobes joined along a central midrib. When the trigger hairs detect sufficient stimulation, electrical signals and changes in cell pressure help drive the lobes from an open, outward-curved state to a closed configuration.

The trap’s speed is not the same as its full digestive process. Immediately after closing, the lobes may leave gaps that allow very small organisms to escape. If the prey continues moving and stimulates the hairs several more times, the plant tightens the seal and begins producing digestive enzymes.

The Venus flytrap’s rapid response is especially striking because most plant growth and movement is slow. Its closest carnivorous relatives include sundews and the aquatic waterwheel plant, Aldrovanda vesiculosa, whose snap traps are smaller and can close even faster.