9. Horses on Crazyweed
Spotted locoweed, crazyweed, loco (you can guess where this is going) is the name given to any plant that induces the production of swainsonine in grazing animals. Common culprits are the Oxytropis, Astragalus and Swainsona, found in in North America and Australia. When elk, deer, horses and cattle eat them, they become very tipsy, start to walk funny and bump into things.
Experts have described the effect on animals as similar to a mind-altering drug. But over-ingestion causes excess production of swainsonine, which will kill the animal within eight weeks. Horses and cows can quickly get addicted and show withdrawal symptoms, like depression and weight loss, when taken off the drug.
The use of locoweed can develop into a group addiction. If one member of the herd eats it, the others usually join in.
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