Monkeys use millipede juice as Ecstacy-style party drug

August 11, 2002 4:46 PM

Monkeys use millipede juice as Ecstacy-style party drug They bite the millipedes, then reach behind their back and rub it on their fur...Their eyes glaze over...one monkey shared a millipede with four family members and the entire family turned into a 'writhing mass.' How cute is that? For context, here's a December report of wild primates ingesting plants with stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Welcome to the new field of Zoopharmacognosy, which studies the spontaneous medicinal (and recreational) use of plants by non-human animals. An intro to the subject. Perhaps now you're ready to chew on Terrence McKenna's visionary notion that psychedelic mushrooms were the spark for the development of consciousness in apes.
posted by mediareport (25 comments total)

Apologies for posting an animal consciousness link so soon after the last one, but the Miami Herald only keeps stories up for 7 days. There are lots of other links out there, like the Chimpanzee Medicine Chest, but I'll refrain from overloading you. :)
posted by mediareport at 4:53 PM on August 11, 2002

I hope they don't start dancing badly with Glow Worms to repetitive cricket noises while babbling about peace and love.
posted by Stan Chin at 5:08 PM on August 11, 2002

"...''If you like small animals that are not furry, they're kind of cute..."

No, no, no. Not furry != cute, no matter how much an entomologist would like us to think that it does.

Now, on to the bigger point. Has this been tried by any intrepid homo sapiens yet? I bet the people over at Fear Factor are quivering in near-orgasmic ecstasy over the prospect.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:12 PM on August 11, 2002

Aaaaraaagh. "Ecstasy."

I swear I spellchecked the post. I swear!
posted by mediareport at 5:19 PM on August 11, 2002

Holy flinging feces. Turn off the computer; PBS is actually running a special on dolphin intelligence right now, complete with footage of the dolphin self-recognition experiment from Friday's thread. Your local station may rerun "Nature" later tonight, too. West-coasters, you've been warned.
posted by mediareport at 5:29 PM on August 11, 2002

Tomorrow's Headline:
Ashcroft declares millipede 'gateway bug', vows crackdown
Sorry...couldn't resist
posted by ElvisJesus at 5:45 PM on August 11, 2002

No, no, no. Not furry != cute, no matter how much an entomologist would like us to think that it does.

What about babies? They're not furry. (ducking)
posted by Modem Ovary at 5:54 PM on August 11, 2002

Turn off the computer

Thanks to my own early excursions into the realm of the perception expanders, I am now quite capable of multitasking and watching the tube whilst simultaneously working and browsing online.

What about babies? They're not furry.
Proving the point!
posted by HTuttle at 5:58 PM on August 11, 2002

Talk, talk talk! Enough already!

WHERE'S THE CANDY??
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:09 PM on August 11, 2002

What about babies? They're not furry. (ducking)

Ever seen a newborn baby? Slimy just can't make up for lack of furriness on any cuteness scale.

I wonder what, if any, effect this will have on the 'war on drugs.' Mammals taking recreational drugs without having peer pressure, the tv, and popular music to blame it on.
posted by Kellydamnit at 6:21 PM on August 11, 2002

Mediareport, this was a very tasty and intoxicating collections of links - thanks for putting this together! I'm envious of the free and open attitudes monkeys have towards psychedelics and hope that our own species can evolve up to their level some day.
posted by rks404 at 6:36 PM on August 11, 2002

"What about babies? They're not furry."

Contrary to popular belief, babies are not inherently cute. In fact, they are only cute if they are related to you, and the closer the relation the cuter they get. One's own offspring are almost mind-numbingly cute, whereas the people across the street have clearly been wading in the shallow end of the gene pool.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:38 PM on August 11, 2002

Obviously these monkeys need some serious jail time to cure them.
posted by Dirjy at 6:44 PM on August 11, 2002

Aaaaraaagh. "Ecstasy."
take heart mediareport, ecstasy is a legitimate spelling of the word
posted by dolface at 7:09 PM on August 11, 2002

I hear FOX is working on a new, hip hour drama about a group of undercover orang utans who attempt to infiltrate the young simian millipede scene.

21 Swing Tree. Next Spring, Go Ape. On Fox.
posted by tittergrrl at 7:13 PM on August 11, 2002

Well, now we know why monkeys haven't taken over the world; they're too busy taking monkey ectasy.
posted by Keyser Soze at 7:26 PM on August 11, 2002

If anyone wants to hear/ see Terence Mckenna, find 'Alien Dreamtime' with Space Time Continuum. There is both a video & cd. here's some reference
posted by thekorruptor at 7:27 PM on August 11, 2002

Did anyone else flash on Naked Lunch and the whole thing with the centipedes?
posted by alumshubby at 7:51 PM on August 11, 2002

"Dude, dude... look my banana... look at it... whoaaaa"
posted by geoff. at 9:06 PM on August 11, 2002

I wonder if these millipedes can have any effect on humans. Hmmm.. could we start a new billion-dollar drug market and cash in?
posted by twos at 10:02 PM on August 11, 2002

And thus the War On Monkeys began.

And we all know who wins that one.

Marky Mark.
posted by Neale at 11:17 PM on August 11, 2002

Paging 9622.
posted by dhartung at 12:08 AM on August 12, 2002

I love mushrooms.
posted by nath at 12:43 AM on August 12, 2002

I just finished reading about viacreme. Apparently all the rage in MLM circles. Does anyone else see the similarity?
posted by shinythings at 1:21 AM on August 12, 2002

ok guys, new plan: trick ravers into eating millipedes!
posted by mcsweetie at 8:56 AM on August 12, 2002