What Is a Mammal?

A Guide for People With Alpha-gal Syndrome

Mammals

Mammals are animals which produce milk to feed their young. Most are furry, but some–like whales, dolphins, and armadillos–aren’t furry. Many of the mammals we eat have hooves, but some don’t have hooves.

People with alpha-gal syndrome are allergic to galactose-α-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), which is found in all mammals except for humans and some monkeys and apes. Alpha-gal is also found in foods and other products made from mammals. These include the meat, organs, blood, fat, and other parts of mammals. If people with alpha-gal syndrome eat these, they can experience severe allergic reactions. Many people with alpha-gal syndrome also react to alpha-gal in milk, dairy products, and gelatin. Some drugs and other medical products contain ingredients made from mammals, and these can also cause severe reactions. People who are highly sensitive to alpha-gal can also react to mammalian byproducts in personal care products, make-up, cleaning products, and fumes from cooking meat and milk.

For more information about mammals see the Wikipedia article on mammals.

Mammals Eaten All Over the World*

Mammals Eaten in North America*

Mammals Eaten in Latin America*

Mammals Eaten in Europe*

Mammals Eaten in Africa*

Mammals Eaten in Asia, Australia, or Pacific Nations*

Mammal Pets

Animals that are NOT Mammals*

*Please note that nobody affiliated with this website advocates eating wildlife of any kind or any other animals depicted on this page. We oppose all illegal hunting, wildlife trafficking, and animal cruelty.

Mammals Eaten All Over the World

⚠Pigs (pork, ham, bacon)

Mature black and white cow head, gentle look, pink nose, in front of a blue sky.

⚠ Cows (ox, bull, beef, veal)

⚠ Sheep (lamb, mutton)

⚠ Goats

⚠ Rabbits and Hares

⚠ Sausages, salami, pâté, and other processed meat products made from beef, pork, lamb or other mammals

⚠ Deer, elk, and antelope (venison)

⚠ Beef, pork, lamb, mutton, venison and other red meat

⚠ Bacon (pork bacon)

⚠ Sweetbreads (thymus or pancreas)

⚠ Cow’s liver

⚠ Tripe or chitlins (intestines)

Some Mammals Eaten in North America

For more North American mammals species, see the iNaturalist list of North American mammal species.

⚠ Bison (American buffalo)

⚠ Deer and antelope

⚠ Elk

⚠ Moose

⚠ Caribou

⚠ Groundhogs (woodchucks)

⚠ Squirrels

⚠ Javelina and other peccaries

⚠ Beavers and nutrias

⚠ Muskrats

⚠ Raccoons

⚠ Opposums

⚠ Porcupines

⚠ Armadillos

⚠ Bears

⚠ Coyotes and foxes

Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) in alert; Santa Clara County, California,

⚠ Wild pigs (feral swine)

⚠ Guinea pigs

Gray Seal Resting on a Bed of Seaweed in Scotland

⚠ Seals

⚠ Pork rinds

Some Mammals Eaten in Latin America

⚠ Capybaras

⚠ Monkeys

Southern white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari albirostris)

⚠ Peccaries

⚠ Agoutis

⚠ Guinea pigs

Cuy (guinea pig) roasted and ready to eat

⚠ Guinea pigs

BAIRD'S TAPIR tapirus bairdii, FEMALE WITH YOUNG

⚠ Tapirs

⚠ Pacas

⚠ Javelinas

White Alpaca with offspring, South American mammal

⚠ Alpacas

⚠ Armadillos

⚠ Brocket deer

Some Mammals Eaten in Europe

⚠ Horses

⚠ Wild boar

⚠ European hares

⚠ Elk (moose)

Alpine Marmot, marmota marmota, Adults standing on Rocks, France

⚠ Alpine marmots

⚠ Seals

⚠ Roe deer

⚠ Bears

Majestic Red Stag in yellowing autumn meadow

⚠ Red deer

⚠ Kidneys

⚠ Whales

Black pudding, blood sausage cut into pieces

⚠ Blood pudding

Some Mammals Eaten in Africa

⚠ Antelopes

⚠ Camels

Warthog, phacochoerus aethiopicus, Male Resting, Masai Mara Park in Kenya

⚠ Warthogs

Herd of African cape buffalos grazing in Chobe National Park

⚠ African buffalo

⚠ Hippopotamus

⚠ Porcupines

⚠ Duikers

⚠ Cane rat stew

Some Mammals Eaten in Asia, Australia, or Pacific Nations

Young red kangaroo (9 months) - Macropus rufus

⚠ Kangaroos

⚠ Rats and other rodents

⚠ Guar

⚠ Banteng

Wasserbüffel im Yala Nationalpark in Sri Lanka

⚠ Water buffalo

⚠ Whales

flying male Lyle's flying fox (Pteropus lylei)

⚠ Bats

⚠ Bats in a market

Some Mammal Pets

Most people with alpha-gal syndrome can keep mammal pets, like cats and dogs. Some are bothered by their saliva and/or dander. Some people report that feeding their pet vegetarian pet food helps reduce their reactions to their saliva.

⚠ Cats and dogs

⚠ Rats and other rodents

⚠ Rabbits

⚠ Guinea pigs

Animals that Are NOT Mammals

Animals that do NOT produce milk to feed their young are NOT mammals. This includes animals with feathers (birds) and scales (fish and reptiles) and amphibians, like frogs.

People with alpha-gal syndrome can eat these animals and their eggs, except for flounder eggs.

Poultry and other birds are NOT mammals.

✅ Chickens

✅ Turkeys

✅ Ducks

✅ Guinea fowl

Fresh brown eggs in bowl on wood background

✅ Emu

✅ Chicken, ducks, and other bird eggs

✅ Turkeys

✅ Ostrich

Fish, amphibians (like frogs and salamanders), and reptiles (like alligators, snakes, and turtles) are NOT mammals.

✅ Fish

✅ Frogs

Closed up Ikura (Salmon Roe) Sushi on the Stone Plate.

✅ Most fish eggs

American Alligator swimming in the spring swamp

✅ Alligators and other crocodilians

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⚠ Flounder eggs

Warning: people with AGS may also be allergic to flounder eggs *

⚠ Turtles

Green sea turtles and possibly other turtle species contain alpha-gal!

*Researchers in Japan found that a large percentage of people with red meat allergy are also allergic to flounder roe (1)(2). It’s not clear why.

Invertebrates, like crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crawfish), molluscs (oysters, clams, mussels), and insects are not mammals.

✅ Fish

✅ Lobsters and langoustines

Raw oyster and lemon on a whte background.

✅ Oysters

Fresh prawn shrimps on ice for sale at fish market

✅ Shrimp and prawns

✅ Octopus

✅ Mussels

Insects and wooden spoon in male hand. The concept of protein food sources from insects. Brachytrupes portentosus crickets is a good source of protein, vitamin B12, and iron, it is low in fat.

✅ Grasshoppers

Fresh blue swimming crab on ice at street sea food market

✅ Crabs

A plate of seafood entree with squid on top

✅ Calamari (squid)

✅ Snails and other gastropods

small bowl of roasted mopane caterpillar, Gonimbrasia belina at the market in livingstone, zambia

✅ Mopane worms (caterpillars)

✅ Crawfish

✅ Clams

japanese sea urchin, sushi and sashimi ingredients

✅ Uni (sea urchin roe)

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