Psychoactive toad
Encyclopedia
Psychoactive toad is a name used for toads from which psychoactive substances from the family of bufotoxin
s can be derived. The skin
and poison
of Bufo alvarius (Colorado River toad
or Sonoran Desert toad) contain 5-MeO-DMT
and bufotenin
. Other species contain only bufotenin. 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin both belong to the family of hallucinogenic
tryptamine
s. Due to these substances the skin or poison of the toads may produce psychoactive effects when ingested.
effects. The toad takes about a month to refill its poison glands following the milking procedure, during which time the toad will not produce poison. Some vendors sell dried toad skins, even though it is possible to harvest the poison without harming the toad. The poison is often used for recreational purposes.
Rumors dating from the 1970s claimed that groups of "hippies" or teenagers were licking the psychoactive toads to get high. One version of the story has hippies in the hills of California
chasing toads through the woods to get high.
Albert Most, founder of the Church of the Toad of Light and a proponent of recreational use of Bufo alvarius poison, published a booklet titled Bufo alvarius: The Psychedelic Toad of the Sonoran Desert in 1983 which explained how to extract and smoke the secretions.
There have been deaths reported as the result of people attempting to get high from cane toad venom. Reportedly, some dogs in Australia, where the toads have become a major pest, have learned to lick the toads for pleasure.
Bufotoxin
Bufotoxins are a family of toxic substances found in the parotoid glands, skin and venom of many toads ; other amphibians; and some plants and mushrooms. The exact composition varies greatly with the specific source of the toxin. It can contain: 5-MeO-DMT, bufagins, bufotalin, bufotenine,...
s can be derived. The skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
and poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
of Bufo alvarius (Colorado River toad
Colorado River Toad
The Colorado River toad, Bufo alvarius, also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, is a psychoactive toad found in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States...
or Sonoran Desert toad) contain 5-MeO-DMT
5-MeO-DMT
5-MeO-DMT is a powerful psychedelic tryptamine. It is found in a wide variety of plant and psychoactive toad species and, like its close relatives DMT and bufotenin , it has been used as an entheogen by South American shamans for thousands of years.-Chemistry:5-MeO-DMT was first synthesized in...
and bufotenin
Bufotenin
Bufotenin , or 5-hydroxy-dimethyltryptamine , is a tryptamine related to the neurotransmitter serotonin...
. Other species contain only bufotenin. 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin both belong to the family of hallucinogenic
Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants
This general group of pharmacological agents can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. These classes of psychoactive drugs have in common that they can cause subjective changes in perception, thought, emotion and consciousness...
tryptamine
Tryptamine
Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid found in plants, fungi, and animals. It is based around the indole ring structure, and is chemically related to the amino acid tryptophan, from which its name is derived...
s. Due to these substances the skin or poison of the toads may produce psychoactive effects when ingested.
Cultivation and uses
To obtain the psychoactive substances the toxin of psychoactive toads is commonly milked from the toad's poison glands. The milking procedure does not harm the toad — it consists of stroking it under its chin to initiate the defensive poison response. Once the liquid toxin has been collected and dried, it can be used for its psychedelicPsychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
effects. The toad takes about a month to refill its poison glands following the milking procedure, during which time the toad will not produce poison. Some vendors sell dried toad skins, even though it is possible to harvest the poison without harming the toad. The poison is often used for recreational purposes.
Rumors dating from the 1970s claimed that groups of "hippies" or teenagers were licking the psychoactive toads to get high. One version of the story has hippies in the hills of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
chasing toads through the woods to get high.
Albert Most, founder of the Church of the Toad of Light and a proponent of recreational use of Bufo alvarius poison, published a booklet titled Bufo alvarius: The Psychedelic Toad of the Sonoran Desert in 1983 which explained how to extract and smoke the secretions.
There have been deaths reported as the result of people attempting to get high from cane toad venom. Reportedly, some dogs in Australia, where the toads have become a major pest, have learned to lick the toads for pleasure.
See also
- Poisonous AmphibiansPoisonous amphibiansPoisonous Amphibians are amphibians that produce toxins to defend themselves from predators.Except certain salamandrid salamanders that can extrude sharp venom-tipped ribs, amphibians are not known to actively inject venom, most toxic amphibians are instead known to be poisonous to touch or eat...
- Poison frog
- Phyllomedusa bicolorPhyllomedusa bicolorThe Giant leaf frog is a hylid frog found throughout the Amazon Rainforest of northern Bolivia, western and northern Brazil, south-eastern Colombia, eastern Peru, southern and eastern Venezuela, and the Guianas. Locally, it also occurs in riverine forest in the Cerrado...
- Let's Go to the Hop - An episode of Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
in which toad licking is the central plot device.
Further reading
- Davis, WadeWade DavisEdmund Wade Davis is a Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author and photographer whose work has focused on worldwide indigenous cultures, especially in North and South America and particularly involving the traditional uses and beliefs associated with psychoactive plants...
. "Smoking Toad". The Clouded Leopard: Travels to Landscapes of Spirit and Desire. Vancouver, BC: Douglas & McIntyre, 1998, 171-198. - Ksir, Charles, Carl L. Hart, Oakley Ray. Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior. Boston: McGraw, 2005. 363.