Remember those giant plants in Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs? You know, the one that almost ate Manny and Diego, and Buck, the annoying yet hilarious ferrety-weasel thing had to get them out? It turns out that they’re not the stuff of fairy tales. In fact, there are a few carnivorous plants that sometimes—though rarely, if ever—eat small mammals today, such as the species known as Nepenthes rajah.

Though man-eating plants are said to be cryptozoology legends and nothing more, they technically could exist. Most of the carnivorous plants we know of, however, just eat bugs, such as the Venus Flytrap. So when my little girl asks me if we could ever be eaten by plants, I always say, “Probably not.” Who am I to deny the presence of a real man-eating plant, after all?

That said, flesh-eating plants are fully abundant. Several different species of pitcher plants, which live off the protein of insects, exist in the world. One type of pitcher plant, known as the S. alata, can be found from Texas to the Mississippi. These Southeast pitcher plants are also known as yellow trumpets since they are shaped like trumpets. They are long and tubular, with a hollowed-out center. They thrive in nitrogen-depleted soil by accommodating their diets with—what else?—bugs.

Unlike Venus Flytraps, which capture insects, drain them, and release their empty carcasses when they are finished absorbing their nutrients, pitcher plants actually dissolve their prey. They feature a liquid that contains chemical enzymes that dissolve insects. Their deep tube, which the prey falls into, is therefore known as a pitfall trap. For a pretty amazing peek into this process, click here.

As cool as they are, Southwestern pitcher plants are not the most exotic-looking of all the carnivorous plants. Other pitcher plants, including the Nepenthes and the Cobra lily, are quite gorgeous, and feature red coloring, speckled patterns, and vibrant designs.  Heliamphora chimantensis also feature striking red patterns, though there shapes are similar to the Southwestern pitcher plant. The spiky Drosera capensis, though not a pitcher plant, is a truly remarkable carnivorous organism that catches prey in its moving leaves.

Some carnivorous plants are even normal-looking. The Brocchinia reducta, for example, might sound like an intricate Harry Potter spell, but it’s actually a pretty lackluster carnivorous plant that you wouldn’t suspect. Even the plainest-looking creatures can present a danger in the wild.