How do taste and smell influence an animal’s decision to eat?

Taste and smell are critical components of chemoreception, the process by which animals detect chemical signals to locate, evaluate, and select food.12

Finding and Recognizing Food

Animals use odors to detect potential food resources from a distance. Once a food item is located, close-range odors and taste work together to determine its acceptability. While visual cues are primary for many birds and predators, most animals rely on a combination of volatile and nonvolatile chemical signals to guide their choices based on nutritional needs and innate preferences. For instance, herbivores and omnivores often prefer sugary foods, while carnivores are typically stimulated by the flavors of animal proteins and specific amino acids.2

Experience and Learning

Feeding behavior is highly plastic, shaped by associative learning. Animals learn to associate specific odors and flavors with positive outcomes, such as nutrient intake, or negative ones, such as illness. Through aversion learning, animals can reject poisonous substances or nutritionally inadequate foods after a single negative experience. This ability allows generalist feeders to balance their diets and avoid toxins, ensuring survival by adapting their preferences as their physiological needs change.34