Bufo alvarius: a potent hallucinogen of animal origin.

Anthropologists have long hypothesized that ancient Mesoamericans used the toad Bufo marinus as a ritual intoxicant, based on iconographic and mythological representations and speculative ethnographic reports. The authors reject B. marinus due to its venom's toxicity. Instead, they propose the Sonoran desert toad, Bufo alvarius, as a more likely candidate because it secretes large amounts of the potent hallucinogen 5-MeO-DMT. Experiments show that B. alvarius venom, though toxic when eaten, can be safely smoked and is powerfully psychoactive by that route. This is the first documentation of a hallucinogenic agent from the animal kingdom, providing clear evidence of a psychoactive toad possibly used by Precolumbian peoples.

Study at a glance

Abstract

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. A more likely candidate is the Sonoran desert toad, Bufo alvarius, which secretes large amounts of the potent known hallucinogen, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). The authors demonstrate that 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.