(This reminds me of a great story Jim Leftwich wrote for bOING bOING about a psychedelic toad farmer. I’ll see if I can dig it up.)
Anonymous sez: “I was interested after reading your post on the Betel Nut essay and since I’m always in the mood to try something mind altering, went in search of sources. It turns out that there’s a very interesting purveyor of botanical products called Bouncing Bear Botanicals. Not only do they sell betel nuts but they’ve also got everything from mildly hallucinogenic mushrooms to wildly hallucinogenic live toads (sold in breeding pairs no less!). I’ve never ordered from them but I think I will!” Link
UPDATE: Ron sez: I’ve got a few red flags off the toad story.
I’ve been a very active member of the Entheogenic community for over the past decade having worked for different magazines and forums over the years as admin and mod. There’s somethings that I’ve got to point out:
Firstly, bouncing bear doesn’t list the animal on their products page nor, could I locate it anywhere on their site. (Yes — it’s on this site, but listed as out of stock. Here’s the link — Mark.)
Secondly, although, the animals do contain 5 MEO DMT ( a dubious “psychedelic”), but they also contain a few other “toxins” in their poison glands that if “licked” injected or “whatever” can cause serious problems — including rapid heart failure. These and related toads kill many wild and domesticated animals yearly that are either too inquisitive or aggressive with them.
In general there has to be at least some mention of safety IMHO, they’re not a item that is “safe” for the general public Use of these animals coupled with a nonchalant attitude will only “cause problems”.
Lastly, there are some ethical and legal issues as the animal is endangered in the wild with laws in effect regarding trade.
I did locate a site that does offer the animals for a very high price. The bouncing bear may be a front for the second site. (very common) as the provided images are the same.
If you could please place a red text notice with the entry saying something to the effect of :
“Bufo Alvarius: are a endangered species that may be illegal to buy and sell. These animals can be very dangerous as they do have poison glands that secrete a highly reactive poison — do not lick or consume.”
UPDATE: Anonymous sez: “The ‘Update’ post on Sonran desert Toads is not particualrly accurate. The writer calls 5-MEO-DMT a ‘Dubious Psychedelic.’ If being strapped to the front of a rocket and propelled across several dimensions constitutes a dubious psychedelic, what is this person taking, and where can we get some?
He is accurate in saying that Bouncing Bear is ‘Out of stock’ on these toads. They have been out of stock on thier website for over a year now. I doubt that they will ever be for sale on thier site again. The poster is highly inaccurate when he says that the Sonoran Desert Toad is an endangered animal. While anyone should take the proper care and consideration into the ownership of any pet, the Sonoran desert toad is not endangered. Certain desert areas are hopping with them at the right time of year. For more information click here.