Re: [Re: [Suchomimus tenerensis]]

[Christopher Srnka <theclaw@sprintmail.com>]

Christopher Srnka wrote:

> Haist, Brandon wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > I know that this is old, but Grisslies which eat whatever they can find, eat
> > as much salmon as they can, since they are always hungry.  When I was at
> > Sequoia National Park in California the rangers made it a big point to keep
> > food away from the Black Bears.  They said that one Milky Way Candy Bar Held
> > more sugar and calories than what a Black Bear gets eating in a meadow for
> > an entire day!  I guess it is not what you eat necessarily, but how much.
> > ~Brandon Haist
>
>   Actually, it IS what you eat to a large degree, as your anecdote about the
> grizzlies eating candy bars demonstrates. Generally speaking, animals do not
> seek out or are accustomed to refined sugars, high glycemic foods, and other
> sources of high-carbohydrate foods. Protein and fats are essentials; refined
> sugars such as those in candy bars are definitely not. I don't know how 
> insulin
> and blood sugar levels function in other species, but in humans excessive
> carbohydrate consumption can lead to all sorts of bad conditions, including
> hypoglycemia, type II diabetes, and carbohydrate addiction. Recently, I was 
> able
> to change my eating habits to restrict carbohydrate consumption and increase 
> my
> overall food intake (proteins and fats) while effectively lowering my
> cholesterol, blood pressure, and bodyfat percentage, while increasing energy
> levels and alertness. If insulin and glycogen work in the same ways in other
> vertebrates, it would explain why predators generally take in more protein and
> fat in their diets than herbivores do, proportionately; increased energy and
> alertness are essential for effective predation.
> Just a thought, and probably somewhat off topic, sorry...
> -Chris Srnka

  I realize I didn't really make much of a point there; I guess it's just that 
your
story about the grizzlies and the candy bar points out that the diets of wild
animals (vertebrates, I mean) tend to be high in proteins and fats and that 
sugars
and carbohydrates are not the main dish. I have little or no understanding of 
animal
nutrition, so if anyone out there can bail me out by detailing a probable 
dinosaur
RDA, I'll shut up about the proteins and such and stick to drawing stuff! :-P
-Chris Srnka