Please Refrain From Licking Psychedelic Toad: US National Park Service Warns

In “should we really have to tell you this?” news, the US National Park Service has put up a warning against licking toads. On Tuesday, the NPS used Facebook to warn passersby to use caution around the Sonoran desert toad, also known as the Colorado river toad.

The toad, also known as the Colorado River toad, is one of the largest found in North America — measuring nearly 7 inches, according to the park service. It also has a "weak, low-pitched" sound.

But what the Sonoran Desert toad is really known for is they secrete a "potent toxin," the park service says.

The toxin is enough to stray away potential predators, and it can even kill a full-sized dog if ingested, according to the Oakland Zoo. But humans have exploited the toxin as a psychedelic by smoking it, the zoo says.

What happens when you lick psychedelic toads?

"It can make you sick if you handle the frog or get the poison in your mouth," the park service said in a Facebook post. "As we say with most things you come across in a national park, whether it be a banana slug, an unfamiliar mushroom, or a large toad with glowing eyes in the dead of night, please refrain from licking."

Despite the noted risk, some are drawn to the toad’s toxins that contain a psychedelic chemical called 5-MeO-DMT.

A New York Times report mentions that the practice of smoking toad venom has gained popularity in recent years, with well-known figures like Mike Tyson sharing his experiences and Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, having written about it as a form of addiction treatment. Smoking the Sonoran desert toad’s secretions causes euphoria and strong auditory hallucinations, said the Oakland Zoo.

Possessing the toad’s poison, known as bufotenin, is illegal in California, according to the zoo.

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