>
> Do not some nuts use their shells for protection, and not need chemical
> defenses? Are black walnuts and macadamia nuts eaten by animals other than
> humans?
>
> Don.

Macadamia nuts are eaten in their natural state by dogs in Hawaii and
Australia (where they grow.) They are also extremely toxic to dogs. My 100
pound Lab was paralyzed for the better part of 2 days after eating a
carelessly stored bag of macadamias. Animal paralysis is common where the
nuts are found in a natural state - not so common up here in Southern
Ontario where my vet had to do a fair bit of research to determine what was
causing the problem with my dog. Fortunately the toxicity isn't fatal, but I
had one very unhappy dog on my hands for a few days.

Lynne