In brief
Research reveals that the Sonoran Desert toad, known for its psychedelic secretions, is facing extinction due to increased trapping and demand for its psychedelic properties, combined with habitat loss and climate change.
New research indicates that the Sonoran Desert toad, a seemingly ordinary amphibian known for its striking features, is in a perilous situation due to its unique capability to secrete a potent psychedelic compound from its skin. These toads, primarily found in Mexico, are facing significant population declines as the growing interest in psychedelics puts them at risk.During a conference on psychedelics in Denver, researchers presented alarming data showing that trapping has significantly reduced toad populations, while others have also plummeted. Anny Ortiz, the clinical therapeutics lead at the Usona Institute, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit focused on medical psychedelics, remarked on the tragic irony that this species is now threatened in the pursuit of healing and consciousness expansion. She highlighted how factors like habitat loss and climate change compound this issue, calling it a "triple whammy" for the toads.Although the psychedelic compound 5-MeO-DMT was identified in toad secretions in 1967, it wasn’t until 2014 that awareness surged, largely due to American media coverage of its psychoactive properties. Misleading narratives claiming that Indigenous tribes have long used "toad medicine" have surfaced, despite a lack of supporting evidence, according to Dr. Ortiz, who researched the compound for her dissertation. The plight of the Sonoran Desert toad illustrates the complexities of preserving species under anthropogenic pressures, emphasizing the need for awareness and action to prevent further declines.
