Natural High: Animals that Use Drugs in the Wild

Reindeer and Mushrooms

Ask someone to draw a mushroom and chances are they will draw one with a red cap and white spots. This is the Fly Agaric mushroom, Amanita muscaria. Common throughout Europe and Asia, it is toxic to humans. A dose of 15 caps can be deadly. This has not stopped people eating them because they also contain a psychoactive drug called muscimol.Humans are not the only ones who like these fungi, though. For reindeer, they are a vital part of their diet. They also get enjoyment out of eating them. Eating the Fly Agaric makes the reindeer loll about, behave erratically, and bellow strange noises. Importantly for the reindeer, they are not poisoned by the mushrooms.