Science has shown that human beings aren’t the only creatures that like to alter their mind from time to time. In the past, studies revealed that groups of young dolphins like to use pufferfish to get high, passing the fish around and lightly chewing them to release just enough secretions to give them a brain lift. Earlier this year documentary footage from Madagascar revealed another species that also makes use of mother nature to elevate when researchers recorded a group of lemurs munching on a particular species of millipede to gain access to their brain-changing effects.
Former Dr. Who actor David Tennant narrates as BBC cameras recorded the lit lemurs doing their deed, explaining that “the toxins cause the lemurs to salivate and they then rub both the saliva and millipede into their fur.” It isn’t all about drool and massages, however. Tennant goes on to tell viewers that “the chemicals also appear to send them into a trance-like state, a condition of complete intoxication – and they cannot seem to get enough.”
Before long, the primates are completely stoned, some barely able to keep their eyes open as the high takes over their body. They do need to be careful, however: those millipede secretions also contain the deadly poison known as cyanide, and just one hit too many can lead to a fatal overdose. As far as we can tell, however, the lemurs seem to know their limits and cautiously take little bites to control their intake.
The millipede secretions have another effect for the lemurs too: they work as a kind of insecticide, keeping other pesky insects from making a meal of the lemurs as they move through the jungle.
Surprisingly, the millipedes typically aren’t killed during the process either. After the lemurs bite into the creepy-crawlies just enough to elicit the chemical reaction they’re after the millipedes are let loose, content to wander the rainforest floor until they are grabbed by yet another trip-seeking lemur and the process begins all over again.
We can’t quite recommend going out and chewing on millipedes for your next high like these lemurs do, but then again who are we to judge? There are definitely stranger ways to get high out there, and maybe these lemurs might just be onto something! ….and maybe that explains a bunch about King Julien and his crew in Madagascar too…
