Zoopharmacognosy

For use of psychoactive substances by animals for pleasure, see Recreational drug use in animals.
For the effect of psychoactive drugs on animals conducted via animal testing, see Effect of psychoactive drugs on animals.
See also: Venom § Venom resistant animals
A cat eating grass – an example of zoopharmacognosy

Zoopharmacognosy is a behaviour in which non-human animals self-medicate by selecting and ingesting or topically applying plants, soils and insects with medicinal properties, to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of pathogens, toxins, and even other animals.[1][2] The term derives from Greek roots zoo ("animal"), pharmacon ("drug, medicine"), and gnosy ("knowing").

An example of zoopharmacognosy occurs when dogs eat grass to induce vomiting. However, the behaviour is more diverse than this. Animals ingest or apply non-foods such as clay, charcoal and even toxic plants and invertebrates, apparently to prevent parasitic infestation or poisoning.[3]

Whether animals truly self-medicate remains a somewhat controversial subject because early evidence is mostly circumstantial or anecdotal.[4] However, more recent examinations have adopted an experimental, hypothesis-driven approach.

The methods by which animals self-medicate vary, but can be classified according to function as prophylactic (preventative, before infection or poisoning) or therapeutic (after infection, to combat the pathogen or poisoning).[4] The behaviour is believed to have widespread adaptive significance.[5]

  1. ^ Kapadia M, Zhao H, Ma D, Hatkar R, Marchese M, Sakic B (2014). "Zoopharmacognosy in diseased laboratory mice: conflicting evidence". PLOS ONE. 9 (6): e100684. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9j0684K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100684. PMC 4067353. PMID 24956477.
  2. ^ Attardo C, Sartori F (2003). "Pharmacologically active plant metabolites as survival strategy products". Bollettino Chimico Farmaceutico. 142 (2): 54–65. PMID 12705091.
  3. ^ Biser JA (1998). "Really wild remedies — medicinal plant use by animals". nationalzoo.si.edu. National Zoological Park. Archived from the original on 2004-06-30. Retrieved 2005-01-13.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Lozano was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Raman R, Kandula S (2008). "Zoopharmacognosy: Self-medication in wild animals". Resonance. 13 (3): 245–253. doi:10.1007/s12045-008-0038-5. S2CID 124087315.