What animals like to eat spicy food or peppers?

Scientists study a wild pepper that grows in the desert of southern Arizona, USA, and observe which animals feed on pepper. It turns out that eating Chili peppers seems to be a patent for birds. Experiments show that the pepper fruit is eaten by small mammals, and the seeds can hardly germinate after digestion and discharge. The digestive system of birds basically does not harm pepper seeds. Will humans "have a soft spot" for peppers? Scientists have found that people naturally like spicy food because it played an important role in the survival of prehistoric people in a difficult environment. Spicy food can sterilize and make food harmless. People who like light food are more likely to die of poisoning.

There are many animals that eat spicy food, but most of them don't feel spicy.

The spicy taste of pepper fruit mainly comes from capsaicin. For this plant, capsaicin is an act of self-protection.

Some animals have receptors that can bind capsaicin on their taste organs (such as rabbits), and capsaicin can make them feel pain and stay away from peppers. Many animals (such as some birds) do not contain this receptor, so they will also eat the fruit of pepper.

The former (animals that can feel spicy) can often digest pepper seeds, while the latter can't. Therefore, capsaicin can be regarded as a way for pepper to protect itself. Only animals that can't digest pepper seeds can spread seeds for themselves.

People who can feel the spicy taste of capsaicin but are interested in eating Chili peppers may only be human beings.