Bufo Vulgaris

Bufo Vulgaris
Common Toad

Bufo Vulgaris

Bufo Vulgaris
Common Toad

“Psychedelic” Amphibians

Overall, it has been well documented that amphibian skin may contain a large range of biological active alkaloids, most possessing a unique pharmacological and therapeutic profile. Amongst alkaloids identified are: steroidal salamandarines (from salamanders); batrachotoxins (a potent and selective activator and ligand for Sodium Channels); histrionicotoxins (potent not-competitive blockers and ligands for nicotine receptor channels); epibatidine (with a potent anti-nociceptive activity at nicotinic receptors); the neotropical poison frogs (dendrobatidae); the pumiliotoxin (with myo-/cardio-tonic activity) contained in some anuran genera from Dendrobatidae, Mantellidae, Bufonidae and Myobatrachidae families; several izidines (pyrrolizidines, indolizidines, quinolizidines and legmizidines), pyrrolidinesm piperidines and various tricyclics (related in structures to the coccinellines), and spiropyrrolizidines, pseudophrynamine, and the , that produces .
Furthermore, high levels of amines, including serotonin, histamine and tyramine, have been found in the skin of various toads and frogs and synthesized by the amphibian itself due to their irritant properties on buccal tissue which is used as chemical defense. In addition, high levels of vasoactive peptides such as bradykinin, sauvagine, physaelaemin, caerulein, bombesin, dermorphins, etc., have been presumably used as defense against predators and microorganisms.
Amongst the amphibians, Bufo vulgaris, Bufo alvarius and Bufo marinus, morphologically similar, possess prominent parathyroid glands that secrete a viscous milky-white venom containing two cardiac glucosides, namely bufotenin and bufotoxin. Some anthropologists described ancient peoples of Mesoamerica who used these toads as a ritual intoxicant. Furthermore, it has been assumed to be a specific psychoactive ingredient in B. Marinus venom, used as “Zombie’s powder”, known during the pre-Columbian period in North-America. Toad venom may be sometimes found in some Chinese products used in traditional Chinese medicine, such as “chan su,” sold as topical aphrodisiacs (aka “stone,” “love stone,” “rock hard”). B. alvarius, the Sonoran Desert toad, is a semi-aquatic amphibian found only in the Sonoran Desert, an area of California across the southern half of Arizona and South Mexico. B. Alvarius contains the enzyme O-methyl-transferase, which converts bufotenin (5-OH-DMT) to the potent hallucinogen 5-methoxydimethyl-tryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). The skin contains some indolealkylamines and their metabolites belonging to the common series of 5-hydroxy-indolealkylamines (e.g., bufotenin) and to the less common series of 5-methoxyindolealkylamines (e.g., O-methyl-bufotenin). In addition, its skin contains also sulfur-containing indolealkylamines (e.g., bufoviridine). Consuming Bufo toad venom orally, through licking or eating, is ineffective and potentially risky, being associated sometimes with fatalities, as the venom was evolved to be a defensive poison to deter predators from eating the toads. Furthermore, many species of frogs and toads produce other venoms or skin irritants that should not be ingested orally. Single deep inhalations of vaporized venom proved powerfully psychoactive effects within 15 s. Consistent with the known effects of 5-MeO-DMT, the intoxication is intense and short-lived, marked by auditory and visual hallucinations. The strongest effects dissipated after 5 min, but residual changes in perception persisted for up to 1 h.

“Psychedelic” Amphibians

Appearance

The common toad can reach about 15 cm (6 in) in length. Females are normally stouter than males and southern specimens tend to be larger than northern ones. The head is broad with a wide mouth below the terminal snout which has two small nostrils. There are no teeth. The bulbous, protruding eyes have yellow or copper coloured irises and horizontal slit-shaped pupils. Just behind the eyes are two bulging regions, the paratoid glands, which are positioned obliquely. They contain a noxious substance, bufotoxin, which is used to deter potential predators. The head joins the body without a noticeable neck and there is no external vocal sac. The body is broad and squat and positioned close to the ground. The fore limbs are short with the toes of the fore feet turning inwards. At breeding time, the male develops nuptial pads on the first three fingers. He uses these to grasp the female when mating. The hind legs are short relative to other frogs' legs and the hind feet have long, unwebbed toes. There is no tail. The skin is dry and covered with small wart-like lumps. The colour is a fairly uniform shade of brown, olive-brown or greyish-brown, sometimes partly blotched or banded with a darker shade. The common toad tends to be sexually dimorphic with the females being browner and the males greyer. The underside is a dirty white speckled with grey and black patches.

Other species with which the common toad could be confused include the natterjack toad (Bufo calamita) and the European green toad (Bufo viridis). The former is usually smaller and has a yellow band running down its back while the latter has a distinctive mottled pattern. The paratoid glands of both are parallel rather than slanting as in the common toad. The common frog (Rana temporaria) is also similar in appearance but it has a less rounded snout, damp smooth skin, and usually moves by leaping.

Common toads can live for many years and have survived for fifty years in captivity. In the wild, common toads are thought to live for about ten to twelve years. Their age can be determined by counting the number of annual growth rings in the bones of their phalanges.

Appearance

After the common frog (Rana temporaria), the edible frog (Pelophylax esculentus) and the smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), the common toad is the fourth most common amphibian in Europe. It is found throughout the continent with the exception of Iceland, the cold northern parts of Scandinavia, Ireland and a number of Mediterranean islands. These include Malta, Crete, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearic Islands. Its easterly range extends to Irkutsk in Siberia and its southerly range includes parts of northwestern Africa in the northern mountain ranges of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. A closely related variant lives in eastern Asia including Japan. The common toad is found at altitudes of up to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) in the southern part of its range. It is largely found in forested areas with coniferous, deciduous and mixed woodland, especially in wet locations. It also inhabits open countryside, fields, copses, parks and gardens, and often occurs in dry areas well away from standing water.

Distribution

Toads are great pets for people who are interested in amphibians but want a pet that’s easy to take care of. To keep your pet toad happy, make sure its terrarium has all of the necessities, like water and substrate, as well as a few extra items, like plants and rocks. Toads are carnivores, so they will need plenty of spaces to hunt and eat crickets and other insects in their tank!

1. Choose a tank that is at least 10 US gal (38 L) for your toad. Toads need plenty of space to hide, burrow, and jump around. Upgrade by an extra 10 gallons (38 L) for each additional toad to ensure that they have enough space to move about in the tank. Always position the tank out of direct sunlight to avoid making the environment too warm.

2. Add a coconut fiber substrate that is at least 4 in (10 cm) deep. Pour the substrate into the tank and level it out so the toad can find places to burrow. As the toad feels more comfortable, it will begin to dig and move the substrate around, which is normal.

3. Fill a sturdy, shallow bowl with water and bury it in the substrate. Choose a solid ceramic bowl that’s deep enough to fit your toad inside. Then, add enough dechlorinated water for the toad to completely submerge itself and stay hydrated. Dig a hole in the substrate and situate the bowl in the tank, pushing the substrate up to the sides of the bowl.

If you don’t have a water filter to remove chlorine, add dechlorinated drops to the water before you put it in the tank. Chlorine is very dangerous for toads, and you can purchase the drops at most pet stores.
Be sure to change the water every 2 days so that it’s fresh for your pet.

4. Install a thermometer and a hygrometer on the tank. Toads prefer cooler temperatures with high humidity. Place the meters on one side of the tank, and check them daily. The temperature should be around 60–75 °F (16–24 °C), and the humidity should stay around 50%. If the tank is too hot, add cooler water to the bowl and make sure there is plenty of substrate so the toad can burrow to stay cool.

Since toads prefer cooler weather, they don’t normally require a UV light to keep them warm.
If the humidity drops below 50%, mist the tank with clean water 2-3 times per day until it returns to normal.

5. Secure a tight-fitting, screen lid on the top of the enclosure for safety. Toads can jump pretty high, and they can easily knock the lid off of your tank. Make sure the lid has holes for ventilation and doesn’t easily move when pressed. If the screen is loose, the toad could escape from the tank.

Always remember to secure the lid when you’re done working in the tank.

6. Add leaf litter or cork bark on top of the substrate so your toad can hide. A normal coconut substrate can be comfortable for burrowing, but toads also like to camouflage themselves under larger items. Sprinkle a layer of bark or leaves around the tank to create a variety of places where your toad can conceal itself.

7. Place a few living or plastic plants throughout the enclosure for more coverage. If you want the tank to seem more like the toad’s natural habitat, pick up 3-4 small plants, either real or fake. Position them around the tank to give the toad a few places where it can hide when it’s not burrowing or wading.

If you're going to use real plants, opt for a few Golden Pothos, Epiphyte, or Calathea, since they're easy to maintain and safe for the toad.

8. Position small clay pots and rocks throughout the terrarium to hold humidity. If you want a few more places for your toad to hide that will also keep the terrarium humid, lay a small clay pot on its side in the tank, and add 2-3 rocks on the top of the substrate. When you mist the tank, be sure to spray the pot and rocks, since they hold moisture and release it slowly.[6]

Be sure to keep the clay pots tipped on their sides, since the toads might jump into them and get stuck if they’re placed upright.

Cultivation

The bufo toad has held a place in human mythologies and medicines worldwide since archaic times. Used by ancient peoples for a variety of purposes, its most spectacular effects, according to lore, involve magical and shamanic or occult uses for casting spells and for divination. In the Middle Ages, the Bufo toad was celebrated as a panacea and persecuted as a powerful poison.

Anthropologists have long speculated that ancient peoples of Mesoameria used a toad, Bufo marinus, as a ritual intoxicant. This hypothesis rests on many iconographic and mythological representations of toads and on a number of speculative ethnographic reports. The authors reject B. marinus as a candidate for such use because of the toxicity of its venom. These experiments are the first documentation of an hallucinogenic agent from the animal kingdom, and they provide clear evidence of a psychoactive toad that could have been employed by Precolumbian peoples of the New World. More recently, in the 1960s the Bufo toad was resurrected as a countercultural icon, with people purportedly licking or smoking the secretions to get high. Bufotenine has been at the center of a scientific debate since its discovery in 1893.

History

Most respondents consumed 5-MeO-DMT infrequently (<once/year), for spiritual exploration, and had used less than four times in their lifetime. The majority (average of 90%) reported moderate-to-strong mystical-type experiences ( Mintensity=3.64, SD=1.11; range 0-5; e.g., ineffability, timelessness, awe/amazement, experience of pure being/awareness), and relatively fewer (average of 37%) experienced very slight challenging experiences ( Mintensity=0.95, SD=0.91; range 0-5; e.g., anxiousness, fear). Less than half (39%) reported repeated consumption during the same session, and very few reported drug craving/desire (8%), or legal (1%), medical (1%), or psychiatric (1%) problems related to use. Furthermore, of those who reported being diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, the majority reported improvements in symptoms following 5-MeO-DMT use, including improvements related to post-traumatic stress disorder (79%), depression (77%), anxiety (69%), and alcoholism (66%) or drug use disorder (60%).

Medicinal Use

The Bufo experience:

The first few seconds are a process of surrender—your ego claws to prevent you from succumbing. The ego fights. If you can break through, get past your ego, most people enter a calm and beautiful space but each individual experience varies.

Some people have past life experiences; some experience it more physically—rolling around, kicking, flailing—while others are still and meditative. Some laugh, some spit, some stutter while talking. Any combination of the above and more can happen. Sometimes what you see—and what is actually happening inside—is entirely different.

If you have experienced trauma, the Bufo brings it back up. I have witnessed people who had forgotten they were raped. The Bufo shuts off your ego, and things that have been suppressed can rise to the surface. Some groups of people, particularly African Americans and Jews, may experience slavery or Holocaust trauma. Trauma affects seven generations—you can really see the imprint of that in some journeys.

Psychedelic medicines, like Bufo, can benefit someone eager to work past trauma. While it can give you the courage to face and breakthrough those traumatic experiences, it can also be challenging. The good news is that on Bufo, you'll usually circle back to a beautiful space of forgiveness, love, and oneness with the universe.

Becoming one with the divine source is described as samadhi, or blissfully divine experience, where the ego and mind dissolve. A journey of pure consciousness that feels limitless/infinite. The feeling is hard to describe with words but suffice it to say there is an ego death.

Ritual Use

Gland secretion (toad poison)

Psychoactve Material

Psychoactive Material

Bufo Vulgaris secretes large amounts of the potent known hallucinogen, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). The venom of B. alvarius, although known to be toxic when consumed orally, may be safely smoked and is powerfully psychoactive by that route of administration. These experiments are the first documentation of an hallucinogenic agent from the animal kingdom, and they provide clear evidence of a psychoactive toad that could have been employed by Precolumbian peoples of the New World.

Constituents

Bufo is smoked directly in a pipe or vape and quickly goes into and out of the bloodstream. The medicine is collected when the Bufo alvarius toad comes out of hibernation—its poison-secreting gland is milked, the venom is collected and dried. It then turns to a powdery crystal that can be smoked. The synthetic version is smoked differently.

Preparation and Dosage

Like other psychedelics, 5-MeO-DMT induces profound alterations in consciousness (including mystical experiences), with potential beneficial long-term effects on mental health and well-being.

Effects

Source: Christian Rätsch: The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants