Alcohol and psychedelic mushrooms are also known in the animal world. Some animals even consume the substances specifically.
For example, dolphins love the psychedelic poison of the pufferfish. Monkeys in particular prefer to eat fermented fruit to get high. Intoxication-like states also occur in pets. Catnip, popular with cat owners, causes house cats to become intoxicated. The effect is due to the substances actinidine and nepetalactone contained in mint. These are similar to the sexual pheromones emitted by a cat ready to mate. The world's smallest drinkers come from Asia. The feather-tailed shrews are just 15 centimeters tall. They live in Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia and are a big fan of the fermented nectar of the Betram palm. A 2008 study found that the small rodents spend at least two hours each night drinking palm nectar. This has an alcohol content of up to 3.8 percent. In high doses, the venom of the Pufferfish causes paralysis and can even be fatal.