Kissing Toads

The ideal solution would be a natural beetle predator. Well, one did exist. Word had come from Hawaii that a species of toad, bufo marinus had already earned the name cane toad for its ability to protect sugar cane by dining on grayback beetles. So, in 1935, Australia imported 102 cane toads from Hawaii to drive the pesky beetles out of town. The Australians made a special pond filled with beautiful water lilies to encourage the toads romantic behavior. The little creatures needed no encouragement, however, and soon the pond was alive with cane-toad tadpoles. When the toads matured, the cane growers deposited them in the cane fields, fully expecting the beetles to succumb to the toads voracious appetite. 

But the beetles could fly and the toads could not. And instead of chasing flying beetles, the toads preferred to sit under streetlights and dine on whatever insects, fried by the light. 

Why should toads cause such reactions in humans Many species of toads have evolved a spectacular defense mechanism that prevents them from becoming a predator s next meal. When frightened, the toads activate glands behind their eyes and secrete a mixture of toxins that will convince an attacker to look elsewhere for its next meal. Scientists have identified as many as fifteen different compounds in toad venom, each 

But how, exactly, does a toad secretion effect the human mind Bufotenin has a very close chemical similarity to serotonin, a substance used by the nervous system to transmit information from one nerve cell to another. Bufotenin overwhelms serotonin-sensitive cells and triggers effects ranging from hallucinations to seizures. Two Toronto men learned about this the hard way. They ended up in hospital after licking a cane toad they had purchased in a pet shop specializing in exotic animals. And a five-year-old Arizona boy did have a brush with death after he put a Colorado River toad into his mouth. (Just why he did this can only be explained by other five-year-old boys.) In any case, this species, bufo alvarias, is the most toxic toad in North America. The youngster developed seizures that had to be controlled with medication. 

What will eventually happen to the cane toads Some birds have learned to turn the toads over on their backs and eat their tongues. Entrepreneurs plan to manufacture toadskin wallets. 

---

One final thought on the matter of cane toads could the presence of a mind-altering substance in their skin have given rise to all those children s stories about the girl who kisses a toad and turns him into a prince Perhaps. Who knows what you re going to see after you kiss one of those hallucinogenic warty-skinned amphibians. 

---