Reindeer, Other Animals Get High On Magic Mushrooms, Scientist Claims

Turns out the myth of flying reindeer might not be that far from the truth: According to a piece in Pharmaceutical Journal by scientist Andrew Haynes, they (along with other animals) sometimes deliberately eat hallucinogenic fungi in order to amuse themselves during long winters.

The Sun reports:

Haynes believes reindeer deliberately seek out the mushrooms to escape the monotony of dreary long winters.

Writing in the respected Pharmaceutical Journal, Mr Haynes said: "They have a desire to experience altered states of consciousness.

"For humans a common side-effect of mushrooms is the feeling of flying, so it's interesting the legend about Santa's reindeer is they can fly."

In a slightly less appetizing tidbit, Haynes went on to say that herdsmen have been known to drink their own reindeer's urine in an effort to catch a buzz themselves.

Comments

[Jon Obermark]

11:37 AM on 01/02/2011

Sorry if I already posted this... I have been confused by the registration procedure.

A theory: If you look at a lot of these substances that are pleasantly hallucinogenic, a lot of them are from non-moving species that reproduce from cuttings: cactus, mushrooms, creeping vines, etc. And many of them induce vomiting before the full force of the trip can be experienced. (I think 'John' of Revelations throws up his 'scrolls' before he stops merely taking dictation from God and starts seeing heavenly visitors and mutant beasts.)

An animal would eat the plant, wander aimlessly for a while and vomit them up, giving the plant the opportunity to try out a new environment. Then the animal would 'trip', encouraging it to eat the plant again when it had the opportunity, despite the fact it cannot digest it. So the 'trippier' the plant, the more area it could visit, and the better it might survive.

So of course these things affect animals older than us, otherwise the hallucinogens would not have evolved to the strength they have.

[davidgaron]

01:00 PM on 12/29/2010

Kinda brings out my "inner-reindeer"!

[chafuncta]

10:59 PM on 12/28/2010

I tried Amanitas Muscaria once. Made me sweat like crazy and didn't have too much of a psychedelic effect but in the end it was a very pleasant experience. These are plants of the gods and deserve much respect.

[LalaSmiles]

04:46 PM on 12/28/2010

I would nash on those mushrooms as well, if I would have to schlep a sleigh with an overweight old white guy in a fluffy red/white suit.......

[Dnlmsstch]

10:58 AM on 12/28/2010

One of the few places in the world where it is legal to grow opium is Australia (tazmania). Animals (especially sheep) have been know to "break in" the poppy fields and eat the poppies and get high... at least the raindeer are getting high on less harmfull stuff.

[Dnlmsstch]

10:56 AM on 12/28/2010

Now we know why Rudolf nose is red - too much nose candy.

[BebeLush]

11:33 AM on 12/29/2010

And that also explains the flying around the world in one night part as well.

[Genders]

09:40 PM on 12/27/2010

Duh. All sorts of animals seek out mind altering substances. Recreation drug use is natural.

[Pandoras Folly]

11:44 AM on 12/28/2010

yeap jaguars eat ayahuasca vines, lemurs scare centipedes to spray them with trippy bug poison and spend 1/4 of their lives tripping out, cats sniff catnip, and hedgehogs lick creosote off of telephone poles. heck i remember my neighbor had a cow that would deliberately let apples that fell of a tree in the field get super ripe before she ate them then stumble around drunkenly while they fermented. totally natural.

[BebeLush]

11:34 AM on 12/29/2010

Let's not forget Catnip. Mother Nature's way of making your cat all trippy and stuff.

[Genders]

06:19 PM on 12/30/2010

Cats seem to love pot too, both the herb and the smoke, or so I have heard ;)

[H P]

05:59 PM on 12/27/2010

oh my.. FDA bans Reindeer meet in the US..
wiki-leaks will have the inside story later!

[Peanut Santiago]

08:37 PM on 12/26/2010

We need Nancy Reagan.
She has to tell the animals to just say NO.

[svasol]

03:33 PM on 12/26/2010

But seriously folks- everyday it seems we learn how smart animals are! Dr. Doolittle is not that far off!

[AreThoughsLighterThanAir]

02:46 PM on 12/26/2010

North Pole New "Blitzen gets Blitz Again while on duty" Will Santa Claus stand by one of his favourite reindeer as again Blitzen drug habit causes Santa sled to.......

[ekat]

12:34 PM on 12/26/2010

Another indication that there is less difference between species than similarity. Much of what we assume to be evidence of human superiority is being revealed as bunk. Other species apparently understand that destroying their environment is counter to their self preservation interests. This poses an either/or question that's quite fascinating: either humans don't get it (in which case, what's the function of the much-touted human brain?) OR humans are not motivated by self-preservation. I'm pretty sure human civilization didn't arise from psychedelic experiences. I'm also pretty sure that a psychedelic experience is every bit as profound for a reindeer as it is for us.

[maigrey]

01:50 PM on 12/27/2010

Tell me about it. Rats use tools. I've watched them use a stick to set off a trap which it then drags the trap via the stick out of the house and into the desert. So yes there isn't much difference that I can see. Trap smart rats. Then there is the red tailed hawk who follows me when I hunt. It's a race to see who gets the downed dove first. No, they are smart, some I would say are smarter than a few humans I know of.
So here's to fungi munching! Be they 4 or 2 legged!

[chafuncta]

04:09 PM on 12/27/2010

What has human "superiority" gotten us? The only thing it means is that we have learned how to manipulate nature and our environment to our own advantage and to the disadvantage of every other species on the planet. And now we are in the process of destroying the planet and every living creature on it with our selfish manipulations. Human beings are truly the most parasitic, destructive force on this earth and without them the world would still be a Garden of Eden-literally. Just saying.

[davidgaron]

12:59 PM on 12/29/2010

A bit cynical - you might want to tone down your parasitic view of humans - we're not all republicans, you know!

[Joe Goforth]

06:55 PM on 12/25/2010

Go Blitzen!

[DavidEm]

06:40 PM on 12/25/2010

Do they hold their hooves up to the sunlight and stare at them for excessively long periods of time?

[wallyone]

01:52 PM on 12/25/2010

I have personal knowledge of sheep choosing to eat, and get high on, Jimson weed. There was ample other forage available, but some in the flock preferred the Jimson weed. After ingesting it they staggered around, but went right to it the next day.