Colorado River Toad

Taxobox
name = Colorado River Toad
status = LC
status_system = IUCN3.1
trend = stable

---

image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Amphibia
ordo = Anura
familia = Bufonidae
genus = "Bufo"
species = "B. alvarius"
binomial = "Bufo alvarius"
binomial_authority = Girard "in' Baird, 1859
synonyms = "Incilius alvarius"
(Frost, 2008)The Colorado River Toad or "Bufo alvarius", also known as the Sonoran Desert Toad, is a psychoactive toad found in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The skin and venom of "Bufo alvarius" contain 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin.

Description

The Colorado River Toad is carnivorous, eating small rodents, insects, and small reptiles and other toad species; like many toads, they have a long, sticky tongue which aids them in catching prey. It lives in both desert and semi-arid areas throughout the range of its habitat. They are semi-aquatic and are often found in streams, near springs, and in canals and drainage ditches. They often make their home in rodent burrows and are nocturnal.

The toad generally breeds in small rain pools after the summer showers start; they spend approximately one month as yellowish-brown tadpoles before moving onto the land. They grow to be up to 4-7 inches long.

Poison and U.S. law

The toad's primary defense system is glands that produce a poison that is potent enough to kill a full grown dog.cite book | last = Steven J. Phillips, Patricia Wentworth Comus (eds.) | title = A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert | publisher = University of California Press | date = 2000 | pages = 537 | isbn = 0-520-21980-5 ] These parotoid glands also produce the 5-MeO-DMT [ [http://www.erowid.org/archive/sonoran_desert_toad/erspamer.htm Toxins of Bufo alvarius] ] and bufotenin for which the toad is known; both of these chemicals belong to the family of hallucinogenic tryptamines. The presence of these substances in the skin and poison of the toad produces psychoactive effects when smoked. [http://www.erowid.org/experiences/subs/exp_Toad_Venom.shtml Erowid's Toad Venom Experience Vault]

Bufotenine is a Schedule I controlled substance. While possession of the toad is not a crime in itself (in Arizona one may legally bag up to ten toads with a fishing license), it could constitute a criminal violation if it can be shown that one is in possession of this toad with the intent to milk and smoke its venom.http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/h_f/regulations/2007-2008ReptileRegulations.pdf] In November 2007, a man in Kansas City was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance when police discovered B. alvarius toad poison in his possession. [ [http://www.neurosoup.com/man_arrested_for_possession_of_toad.htm Kansas City man was arrested for possession of a Bufo Alvarius, Sonoran Desert Toad, Colorado River Toad ] ] [ [http://www.kccommunitynews.com/articles/2007/11/07/smithville_herald/news/g.sh.news.bad.candy.txt Drug sweep yields weed, coke, toad - KCCommunityNews.com ] ]

It should also be noted that none of the states in which B. alvarius is (or was) indigenous - California, Arizona, and New Mexico - legally allow a person to remove the toad from the state. For example, the Arizona Department of Game and Fish is clear about the law in Arizona: "An individual shall not... export any live wildlife from the state; 3. Transport, possess, offer for sale, sell, sell as live bait, trade, give away, purchase, rent, lease, display, exhibit, propagate... within the state..."

In California, B. alvarius has been designated as "endangered" and possession of this toad is illegal as per "The Official California Code of Regulations, Title 14. Natural Resources Division 1., Subdivision 1., Chapter 5., § 40. General Provisions Relating to Native Reptiles and Amphibians. (a) General Prohibition It is unlawful to capture, collect, intentionally kill or injure, possess, purchase, propagate, sell, transport, import or export any native reptile or amphibian, or part thereof..." [http://government.westlaw.com/linkedslice/default.asp?SP=CCR-1000 Title 14. Chapter 5., § 40(a)]

In New Mexico, this toad is listed as "threatened" and, again, taking B. alvarius is unlawful. [ [http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/parts/title19/19.033.0006.htm 19.33.6 NMAC ] ] [ [http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/parts/title19/19.035.0010.htm 19.35.10 NMAC ] ]

References

* (2004) The history of a Nearctic colonization: Molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of the Nearctic toads ("Bufo"). "Evolution" "58": 2517–2535.
* Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this particular species is of least concern
*cite journal | last = Frost | first = Darrel R., et al. | year = 2006 | title = The Amphibian Tree of Life | journal = Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History | volume = 297 | issue = | pages = 1–370 | doi = 10.1206/0003-0090(2006)297 [0001:TATOL] 2.0.CO;2

External links

* [http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Bufo&where-species=alvarius&account=lannoo AmphibiaWeb: Biology and Conservation Information]
* [http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Bufo+alvarius NatureServe: Conservation Data]
* [http://www.californiaherps.com/frogs/pages/b.alvarius.html CaliforniaHerps.com: Documenting California's indigenous reptiles and amphibians]
* [http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_desert_toad.php Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum]
* [http://www.erowid.org/archive/sonoran_desert_toad/balvarius.htm Sonoran Desert Toad - Natural History site]
* [http://www.erowid.org/animals/toads/toads.shtml Erowid Psychoactive Toad Vault]
* [http://www.neurosoup.com/bufoalvarius.htm NeuroSoup Bufo Alvarius Info]

Media

* [http://www.arts.arizona.edu/herp/BUAL.html Arizona: Tucson Herpetological Society - beautiful pictures]