Jakarta –
The Colorado river frog (Incilius alvarius) in the Sonoran Desert is widely hunted for use as a psychedelic drug. This frog is often found in North America.
Hunters target this frog because of the strong psychotropic compounds in its body. The compound present in the frog is 5-MeO-DMT.
Cultural interest in frogs and their psychoactive properties began in the 1960s and intensified in the 1990s. In 2017, interest in the frog increased again due to its appearance in the media.
Currently, there are expensive retreats in Mexico where 5-MeO-DMT is given for emotional healing, spiritual healing, or just for hangovers. This makes many people want to try it.
The compound 5-MeO-DMT is legal in Mexico, it is also included in Schedule 1 drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency. However, in the state of Arizona, the public is prohibited from catching toads without a permit.
The current fascination of frogs for their psychoactive properties is complicated by the fact that 5-MeO-DMT is currently being studied as a possible treatment for depression and anxiety.
The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum’s Curator of Herpetology, Ichthyology, and Invertebrate Zoology (HIIZ) Thomas Weaver spotlights the hunt for the high Colorado river toad.
“The (Colorado River) frogs are running out now. If something happens to these animals then the insects will take over,” he said as quoted by National Geographic, Thursday (20/7/2023).
Amphibians are ‘indicator species’. Weaver explains that creatures like Incilius alvarius are very in tune with their environment.
He also fears that the toad hunt could trigger a global amphibian crisis that threatens to wipe out up to 40 percent of amphibians worldwide within the next 50-100 years.
“My concern is that these trends in collecting, smuggling and harvesting of toads may impact the species as a whole,” he said.
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(avk/juice)
2023-07-20 14:01:16
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