List of bufotoxins

Some bufo secretions are toxic

The toxic substances found in toads can be divided by chemical structure in two groups:

1. bufadienolides, which are cardiac glycosides (e.g., bufotalin, bufogenin)
2. tryptamine-related substances (e.g., bufotenin)

Ingestion of digoxin-like cardiac glycosides can be fatal. Ingestion of Bufo toad poison and eggs by humans has resulted in several reported cases of poisoning, some of which resulted in death. A court case in Spain, involving a physician who dosed people with smoked Mexican Toad poison, one of his customers died after inhaling three doses, instead of the usual of only one, had images of intoxicated with this smoke suffering obvious hypocalcemic hand muscular spasms.

Toads known to secrete bufotoxins include the following:

• Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius)
• Rhinella arenarum
• Rhinella diptycha
• Nannophryne variegata

External links

• Bufotoxin (Wikipedia)