# How do rats know how to eat peanuts & seeds with shells?



## jerme (May 29, 2012)

I've always wondered. When I would first give rats Peanuts, they instantly know to crack the shell off and eat the seed inside. How? Is it just instinct?


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Good question and I don't really know lol. Mine will only eat the center out of green peas, so I end up with a bunch of green pea skins laying all over the place lol.


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## Chunker (Mar 7, 2015)

I wager it's because the shell isn't very tasty or smells as good as the stuff inside the shell...=)


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## Rattenstein (Nov 14, 2014)

Yeah I'd agree with Chunker, the shells must not be tasty but they smell the tasty nut/seed inside. My boys refuse to eat apple skin, I'll give them a bit of apple with the skin attached, and later I'll find apple skin with every last bit of flesh removed.  Same with roasted sweet potato and tomatoes.


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## erinsweeney (Nov 13, 2014)

how do they know not to poop outside the cage? how do they do any of the incredible things they know? their intelligence shocks me repeatedly!


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