[Bigg Red]

Yes, I did know that about birds. Mammals like deer and squirrels are supposed to be affected by it. But I have had thieving squirrels in my yard who have not been daunted.

I really have tried hot stuff, but I can’t taste anything; the mucosal lining in my mouth is set on fire, and the burning continues long after the food is gone.

My father loved the hot stuff, and some of my siblings do, but I take after my mother.

[HoneysuckleTN]

I really have tried hot stuff, but I can’t taste anything; the mucosal lining in my mouth is set on fire, and the burning continues long after the food is gone.

Same here! My husband could douse everything with tabasco, black pepper, pepper sauce, anything hot he could find. I can't handle even regular old black pepper. No one else in my family is like this, even my kids like hot stuff. I thought I was just weird until I read an article in Discover magazine years ago. It's called being a super taster. Can't recall now if we have more tastebuds or the tastebuds are more sensitive (something along those lines), but it explained everything about why I can't handle hot stuff at all. The only two things I can tolerate a little black pepper on are deviled eggs and sausage gravy--must be something in them that somewhat neutralizes the heat.

[tiki]

They all eat chile. We used to pasture our cattle on the chile fields, they would start with mild and end in the hot. They loved it and so do deer, rabbits, coyotes, squirrels....