Don't lick the Sunra desert toad!
(@itsjustteamily)
The Arizona National Park Service has issued a call to hikers to stop licking dangerous psychedelic toads that roam freely in the nature preserve.
They warned that the Sonoran desert toad, also known as the Colorado River toad, can also paralyze - and even kill - pets such as dogs if they get caught in their mouths.
CNN reported that officials have warned of the toad, which reaches a size of nearly 18 cm and is considered one of the largest in North America. The amphibian normally grows in New Mexico, but was recently spotted at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona. The Sonoran desert toad usually grows near springs, reservoirs, and streams in Mexico and parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico Despite the stated risk, many travelers are drawn to the toad's venom, which contains a psychedelic chemical called 5-MeO-DMT.
According to the Oakland Zoo, the toad's toxins can cause hallucinations and "strong psychoactive" reactions when smoked, but mostly the toad is known to secrete a powerful toxin that can make people sick if it gets in their mouths.
At the end of last October, the Parks Service warned visitors to exercise caution in this regard.
The park said in a statement on Facebook: "As we say with most things you encounter in the national park, whether it's a banana peel, an unfamiliar mushroom or a large toad with glowing eyes in the dead of night - please avoid licking them. These toads have prominent protoid glands that secrete a powerful toxin He can make you sick or get poisoned."
They also warned against an encounter between dogs and toads: "If a dog catches the animal in its mouth, it may kill it. Symptoms of this are excessive salivation, an increased pulse and an irregular gait. If a dog shows any of these symptoms, use a garden hose to wash its mouth from the inside towards outside and consult a veterinarian."
good to know (in advance)
Smoother skin after just one use with a revolutionary device for home care
Served on behalf of B Cure Laser
According to Oakland Zoo, all the toxins smoked from the toad can lead to euphoric highs and a "powerful psychoactive" effect including "strong auditory hallucinations."
In California it is illegal to possess the toad venom, known as bufotenin.
However, the poisons were often used to treat people suffering from depression and anxiety.
Toad venom has been the subject of research as a potential treatment for addiction, depression and anxiety disorders, similar to research into the potential therapeutic properties of psilocybin - the psychoactive ingredient in "magic mushrooms".
To conduct research on the subject, a special permit must be obtained since the US government has classified 5-MeO-DMT as a drug that is not permitted for standard medical use. Besides, for the toxins to be released the toad must feel threatened. The toxins must be dried and smoked later, when evaluated Because the effects of the poisons last up to about 30 minutes. "The experience will start within 10 to 30 seconds and then there will be physical incapacitation for 20 to 30 minutes," Alan Davis, a psychedelic researcher, previously explained to Johns Hopkins magazine. Many refer to the drug's effects as " Indescribable." For some, the perception of time, vision, and voice may be distorted. In less than an hour, the trip ends, leaving users with a "new, mood-changing perspective on their lives," states Johns Hopkins magazine.
This is what tripe looks like on a toad
The practice of smoking toad poison has gained momentum in recent years, with notable figures such as former boxer Mike Tyson sharing his experiences using the substance and Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, writing about it as a form of addiction treatment.
In New Mexico, the toad species is under existential threat because of "collectors who want to use the animal for drug use," according to the state Game and Fish Department.
In California, the toad is classified as endangered.
According to the Oakland Zoo, possession of the toad's poison is illegal in the state.
tourism
Tags
toads
psychedelia
