What animals eat peppers and spices in the wild?

Peppers most likely evolved capsaicin as a deterrant to mammals. They want their fruits to be eaten by birds, so that the seeds will be carried away and spread - mammals tend to chew the seeds in fruits. So, the answer is, birds eat and love peppers. read more

Parrots and other parrot-like birds eat hot peppers and do not appear to even notice. Even my canary enjoys eating the pepper seeds I scrape out of sweet peppers. One day I caught him eating the crumbs and flakes that were left at the top of our table-top chill pepper grinder. read more

Chillies: The Burning Question Scientists in the United States have discovered the reason why chillies are so hot. They say that the chilli plant repels animals, which will not spread the seeds, whilst birds, which ensure effective dispersal, are not put off. read more