Comment The US government has an unusual request: Please don’t lick psychedelic toads. The National Park Service issued a warning this week to visitors not to lick the large toad of the Sonoran Desert as they try to reach a state hallucinogenic lighting from the “powerful toxin” naturally secreted by amphibians. These toads, also known as Colorado River toads, “have prominent parotid glands that secrete a potent toxin,” the Park Service advises. “It can make you sick if you handle the frog or put the poison in your mouth,” he warned. “As we say with most things you encounter in a national park, whether it’s a banana slug, an unknown mushroom, or a big frog with glowing eyes in the night, don’t lick it.” ALL GLORY TO HYPNOTOADS!!! 🌀🌀 The Sonoran desert toad (Bufo alvarius) is one of the largest toads found in North America, measuring nearly 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter. Will he hypnotize you with his big swaying colorful eyes? This is just silly…. WE HAVE TO SHARE FACTS OF THE OVEN!!! pic.twitter.com/78GIcco7rm — National Park Service (@NatlParkService) November 1, 2022 While it’s unclear how many people wander the national parks in search of toads, and there’s no data to suggest it’s widespread, the practice is known in popular culture and celebrities. Bufotenine, a white milky substance also known as “5-MeO-DMT,” is a natural psychedelic secreted by toads, according to Drug Science, an international scientific research group. It can be snorted, inhaled or smoked and induces a “brief but intense psychedelic experience or ‘trip’” lasting about 30 minutes, with hallucinogenic effects that are “significantly stronger” than those caused by the primary psychoactive molecule found in the similar substance ayahuasca . , the team said. The research body said it is a “popular myth” that people can get high by licking toads. In fact, it can be “dangerous,” causing poisoning and even fatal deaths in humans, the group said. Prominent figures such as former boxing champion Mike Tyson, comedian Chelsea Handler and President Biden’s son Hunter Biden have publicly discussed 5-MeO-DMT therapy or toad venom rituals. British scientist James Rucker, a psychiatrist at King’s College London, told the Washington Post on Tuesday that he welcomed the warning, citing reports of people licking the cold-blooded creatures in Asia and elsewhere outside the United States. “I imagine the vast majority of people are looking for a cheap psychedelic experience,” he said. “I would warn people not to do that.” The chemical bufotenin and other natural remedies may be “transformative,” with potential benefits for those suffering from depression and alcoholism, said Rucker, who is conducting similar clinical research trials. “They manipulate the mind and can induce feelings of euphoria and ecstasy,” he added. But she warned they can also cause panic, paranoia and intense anxiety, as well as bring up buried emotions that can be difficult to process and manage without professional support. Dose of psychedelic mushrooms may treat persistent depression, a trial suggests The drugs are often described as “soul enhancers,” Rucker said. “They can be very positive, beautiful, awe-inspiring experiences,” he said, and “catalyze a reconnection with self and others.” However, he warned that people should be wary of the “hype and hope” associated with such psychedelic drugs. Bufotenine can also be found in some trees and plants, and its use in seeds as “shamanic snuff” can be traced back nearly 3,000 years to spiritual ceremonies in Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil, according to Drug Science. The chemical works by rapidly crossing the blood-brain barrier and mimicking the neurotransmitter serotonin, which leads to hallucinations and a euphoric mood, among other effects. The substance is mostly illegal in the United States, classified as a Schedule I drug with no approved medical use. However, the secretions may have some limited use in research, with approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration. Why aren’t there more ways to treat alcoholism? Calling the creatures “terrifying to the frog,” the Park Service described the Sonoran Desert toad as one of the largest toads found in North America, typically about seven inches long. Stocky, short-legged amphibians usually do a “Weak, low tone, lasting less than a second,” adds their call. The somewhat solitary toads are found in parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and sometimes California, and generally live at least 10 years. Adult toads normally have “dark green-olive leathery skin above and a smooth creamy-white underside,” according to the Oakland Zoo, with an enlarged white wart near the corner of the jaw that also secretes a toxin. The creatures release the powerful chemicals from glands just behind their eyes as a “defense” mechanism against “animals that harass this species,” according to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The potent toxins can be strong enough to kill mature dogs that collect the toads in their mouths, causing symptoms such as excessive salivation and an irregular heartbeat, he added. Toads remain underground much of the year, emerging in the summer rainy season from May to July. They are nocturnal during the hot summer months and feed mainly on beetles, spiders, lizards and sometimes smaller toads in desert scrub or woodlands. “I’m sure the toads would also appreciate maintaining their dignity and autonomy,” Rucker told The Post. “The toad wants to be left alone. We should respect that.”
