Submitted by Nwsp1_admin on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 2:03pm
DANGERS OF FEEDING RAW PEANUTS
Feeding raw peanuts to squirrels and other animals can have serious consequences. The results can even be fatal if peanuts compose a large and constant part of the diet.
Peanuts are a legume, not a true nut, and when raw they contain a trypsin inhibitor, a substance that inhibits or prevents the pancreas from producing trypsin which is an enzyme essential for the absorption of protein by the intestine. While the exact relationship between the trypsin inhibitor and malnutrition in rodents is not fully understood, the detrimental effects have been documented since 1917. Thus squirrels fed a steady diet of raw peanuts could easily develop severe malnutrition, and works such as The Backyard Naturalist by Craig Tufts specify the use of roasted peanuts.
