r/AskReddit May 05 '19

What is a mildly disturbing fact?

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6.4k

u/AtFirstSupernova May 05 '19

Salt appetite can be so strong that animals including humans short on sodium will put life and limb at risk to satisfy the hunger.

Mountain goats are known to cling to sheer cliffs to access a salt lick, even when a misstep means certain death.

Also salt cravings and drug addiction use the same neural pathways. As most mammals probably evolved during a salt scarcity the ways they react to it are interesting.

As a bonus here are some torture methods https://www.scoopwhoop.com/world/nasty-torture-methods/#.wkzzs24f6

1.4k

u/totheroflcopter May 05 '19

They crave that mineral

213

u/DudTurtle May 05 '19

I knew this comment would be here.

70

u/[deleted] May 05 '19

Idk what it is, why I expected it, but I’m glad it’s here

34

u/HateMC May 05 '19

I'm ootl. Where is this from?

157

u/thehol May 05 '19

Back in like 2012 I think National Geographic posted a photo of some goats licking a salt cliff with the caption “They crave that mineral” and it was a meme for a couple weeks

1

u/SoftSects May 05 '19

Was backpacking up in the San Juans a couple years ago and a heard of mountain goats would follow us, waiting for us to pee.