eli5: How are animals able to know that grown foods not native to the area are able to be eaten?

Question

eli5: How are animals able to know that grown foods not native to the area are able to be eaten?

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Answer 1

Animals will usually try eating most things that look or smell even remotely food-like. They may learn to avoid certain scents, colours, patterns etc relating to toxic foods native to their natural habitat, but as long as the new food does not have any of those markers, they will generally give it a try.

This of course presents a problem if the non-native food contains some unfamiliar toxin, as the animals may not have developed the instincts to avoid it.