Recently there has been a lot of idiotic stories going around in the media about Colorado River Toad "licking" after a man arrested in Kansas City on drug charges had a toad in his apartment (A note here. He didn't buy it from us). After having reporters show up "live on the scene" at our shop, we want to make sure and clear up some things:
1. Toad licking is largely an urban legend, generally concerning The Cane Toad, Bufo marianus... and will not get you high or turn the toad into a prince. From Wikipedia:
Rumors, dating from the 1970s, claimed that groups of hippies or "teenagers" were licking the psychoactive toads to get high. One version of the story has hippies in the hills of California chasing toads through the woods to get high.In another version, the infamous cane toad of Australia was said to be licked or ingested both by aborigines and by Australian hippies. These stories were propagated by a number of sources, including drug-abuse lectures, at least one textbook, and USA Today in 1988. The idea of toad-licking was even used as a plot for one episode of the television programs L.A. Law, Family Guy and The Simpsons. The story was never true. While it certainly cannot be proven that no one has ever licked a toad in California, there is no documented evidence for toad-licking as a regular practice of any group at any time, nor is there any documented evidence that hallucinatory effects can be achieved in this way.
What?... you didn't really think it was true did you?
3. Licking a toad won't kill you. You may get salmonella and wish you were dead, but you won't die. (Like with any reptile or amphibian please wash your hands before and after handling your pet)
4. Your pet store would sell them if there was a market for them not because they're dangerous. They sell poison dart frogs (which are much more dangerous than Colorado River Toads) to 8-year-old kids. They're not concerned about the safety of their customer. They're concerned with making money and there just isn't much of a market for $150 toads.
So... Please dont lick the toads (or poison dart frogs).
Keeping in mind that Bufo alvarius, and Bufo marianus toads are unregulated and perfectly legal in the U.S. and make amazing pets,.for the safety of our customers, the safety of our toads and to help us sleep easier at night, email us a copy of the following if you are wanting to purchase a toad from us:
I, _________________ (your name) promise I wont lick said toad in any way, or put any part of the said toad in my mouth for any reason whatsoever.
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