Jim
On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 12:14:05 -0500, Bruce Stallsmith
<fundulus-in-hotmail.com> wrote:
> You're right about the red color perception. Few animals have the same range
> of color perception that we have as African primates. Many birds can see
> red, too. But, as mammals, we have to chew food in order to swallow it
> usually. Other vertebrates tend to swallow chunks of food more or less
> whole. Between less chewing and little taste perception, birds will be less
> affected by any chemicals in peppers.
>
> Fishes, on the other hand, have excellent chemosensory organs. I bet no fish
> would eat peppers... but I'm not really sure.
>
> --Bruce Stallsmith
> on the rainy Tennessee
> Huntsville, AL, US of A
>
> >From: IndyEsox-in-aol.com
> >Reply-To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
> >To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
> >Subject: NANFA-L-- old topic - capsaicin - comments from Liz
> >Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2005 08:28:43 EST
> >
> >
> > > >Bruce, seems like I read that the birds swallow the peppers whole, and
> >so
> > > >do not release the capsaicin from the peppers until digestion is
> >initiated
> > > >in the gizzard. Then the capsaicin has the same cathartic effect that
> >it
> > > >has in people -- that is, the undigested seeds are passed more quickly
> >than
> > > >they would be if there were no capsaicin involved. The capsaicin
> > > >stimulates pain receptors in mammals, which masticate the chili
> >berries,
> > > >but not in birds, which have no teeth. Seems like Jantzen, of
> >University
> > > >of Pennsylvania (or one of his students) did some work on this with
> > > >long-billed thrashers in S. Texas and in Arizona, and found that
> >indeed,
> > > >capsaicin is cathartic in them. These birds eat a lot of peppers where
> > > >they grow wild as part of the shrub stands in S. Texas. I think that
> >there
> > > >was even speculation that the chili advertises itself to the birds by
> >its
> > > >bright colors.
> >
> >
> > >Birds are not in the least bit effected by capsaicin, neither are iguanas
> > >they eat lots and lots of peppers in South America and spread the seeds.
> >
> >
> >I have heard, but am not up on the latest research to be sure, that
> >supposedly the capsaicin is an adaptation to keep mammals, who apparently
> >are inferior seed dispersers, from eating the peppers, so that more will be
> >left for birds to eat. Birds see red well, but many mammals apparently
> >lack a red cone in their eye and do not.
> >People who keep parrots often feed dried hot peppers to them and the
> >parrots do chew them up, apparently with no bad effect. Whatever the
> >reason is that it doesn't hurt them, it's not because they don't get it on
> >their tongue and skin, which are very sensitive. Perhaps they don't have
> >the right kind of receptor in their skin for the capsaicin. Heaven
> >knows. However, the peppers have successfully trained parrot owners not
> >to kiss their parrots after such a meal - owza! This was probably not the
> >evolutionary intent, but the world is pretty messed up nowadays.
> >LD
>
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/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
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