Diet and Chemical Defenses of the Sonoran Desert Toads

Project Details

Date created

02 Jul 2025

Project type

Publication

Project visibility

Public

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Active

Added by

Marina Luccioni | Researcher

Contact

Marina Luccioni
luccioni.marina@gmail.com

Contributors

Description

Scientific Publication Accepted by PLOS One.
Abstract: The Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius) is the only animal known to secrete the psychedelic compound 5-MeO-DMT as a chemical defense, but the source of 5-MeO-DMT in I. alvarius remains unknown. Some amphibians endogenously produce chemical defenses while others acquire them from specialized diets. In this study we analyzed toxin gland secretions and diet profiles from wild I. alvarius and sympatric anurans from native and urban habitats around Tucson, Arizona to explore possible links between diet and 5-MeO-DMT production. All I. alvarius secreted high concentrations of 5-MeO-DMT, whereas other sympatric toads did not. The diet of I. alvarius was similar to that of sympatric anurans, indicating that I. alvarius does not exhibit relative dietary specialization. Slight dietary differences between I. alvarius in native and urbanized habitats were observed. Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest that diet is not directly linked to 5-MeO-DMT production, and support the alternative hypotheses that Sonoran Desert toads synthesize 5-MeO-DMT endogenously or via a microbial symbiont.

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Local Contexts Project ID
4ca9b476-497a-40fd-8d45-ea9e4ec94cbb

Project URL
https://localcontextshub.org/projects/4ca9b476-497a-40fd-8d45-ea9e4ec94cbb

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