Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad ~ Poisoning

The Colorado River Toad aka The Sonoran Desert Toad is found extensively across the southwest and particularly in Tucson and the surrounding areas. It is extremely dangerous due to the poison it expresses from glands behind its eyes.

This poison has been developed to protect these toads from predators and is fatal to small animals and reptiles, with very negative effects on bigger animals. These toads also can deliver their poison when they bite their intended prey, you or your pet, but this happens less often to humans and pets because neither tend to play or tease them long enough to get bitten. In fact the Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad has two kinds of very toxic poisons which, once they are expressed from its glands, have a potentially lethal effect on any animal that comes in contact with it, especially pets.

If you pick up a Colorado River Toad aka Sonoran Desert Toad and get some of the liquid on your hands and then rub your face, you will have an unpleasant reaction of burning, stinging and extreme discomfort. These poisons, 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin are some of the most powerful hallucinogens found in the animal world and certainly are nothing to be taken lightly. Since these are so powerful, great care must be taken to learn what these Colorado River Toads look like, protect and keep your pets, children, and yourself from contacting them directly and, if you believe they are too many of them or it is not possible to remove them yourself, consider calling 1st Response Wildlife at 520-260-9517. These Colorado River Toads are most often seen right after a monsoon when they come out from their burrows they have dug or from ground squirrel holes they have taken over. They are often seen, by the dozen after a strong monsoon, all around Tucson and areas to the north and south on the road, in open areas, back yards, and along washes and desert trails. This is the time that it is the most dangerous for your pets and children because they are, it seems, everywhere.

Less seen, but more subtle and often more dangerous are the individual Colorado River Toads that find their way into your back yard and burrow in and under places where they can find moisture. These are the ones your children and pets find and, when you least expect it, you will be called upon to act quickly in order to avoid a fatality for your pet and a lot of discomfort for your own or your neighbor’s children.

I have first-hand experience with a family dog that found a single Colorado River Toad and tried to pick it up in his mouth. I immediately observed the effect of the 5-MeO-DMT. The dog, immediately started frothing at the mouth, could not walk, had his eyes rolled back and I was convinced that he was going to die. Since time was of the essence and I knew there was no time to take him to an emergency pet clinic, I got a hose and began hosing out his mouth in an attempt to wash out as much of the poison as possible. The key to my pet’s survival was that I just didn’t put the hose in his mouth for a few seconds but kept up washing his mouth for 10 to 15 minutes. The outcome of the Colorado River Toad encounter, is that the dog lived and, after 20 minutes he was fully recovered. The lessons I learned from this are as follows: First, keep your eyes open, not only after a monsoon for the Colorado River Toad, but also routinely check around your home or business in areas that are conducive for the singular toad which may be hiding in plain sight. (See my picture above of a Colorado River Toad that had taken up residence by the dripping outlet for an air conditioner. Also note that I am handling the toad with rubber gloves.) Secondly, keep your animals and pets away from these toads-especially if you are walking your pet outside of your residence and encounter one on the sidewalk or in the desert. Thirdly, if you or your child comes in contact with one of a Colorado River Toad, keep your hands away from your face and eyes and thoroughly wash the body parts that have come in contact with the toad.

Fourth, if your pet plays with, tries to pick up, or paws at one of these toads, immediately isolate the animal and move it to a location where you can get a hose and wash off the area that has contacted the toad. If your pet has “mouthed,” the toad, then wash their mouth out for at least 10 or more minutes. (It is highly possible that you do not have time to get them to an animal emergency room before the result of “mouthing,” one of these Colorado River Toad, is fatal.) If you have any questions or do not feel comfortable removing one of these Colorado River Toads you find on your property, please give 1st Response Wildlife a call.

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Comments

[Norma]

Hello Mr. Waling,

Thank you for the wonderful information.
Do you know of anything or how to completely get rid of these toads? We usually see them every summer.

[Stephanie]

My 5 year old son picked up one if these guys tonight and held it for a few minutes before it escaped. I washed his hands immediately, and he didn't complain of any symptoms. Now we know!