The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-11-04
ARE TOADS POISONOUS ?

In answer TO this query, proponn6 Il
by Mr.. Heoelt Brown in 4 recent nu. -
Der OF knowledge, a decided afiirma.
tive may be returned. The toad is
venomous, though not in the way that
is implied by the general acceptatiou
OF that term, as is com monty beliey, !.
NotA!ag cSn be more harmless thal
the bite OF the common toad-if 1t ca:
oe SAID to bite, for it has no teeth. But
the glands contained in tho papiIla,
and rugosities of the skin covering, the
back, and especially those which can
be plainly seen in t..e form OF two bean
like eminences just behind the head.
secrete milky, highly acrid tiuld.
which is eXuded profuse]y on irrita.
ton. Indeed, il it We're not for this
| POISONOUS secretion, the poor toad
v ould fall an easy victim to MANY
cne-lics, having neither the agility Of
the from or lizard to enable it to mHke
IT'S escape, nor the teeth and claws oil
other reptiles whereWith to defend It.
self. Cats, which are eager hunters of
frogs for food, spit and foam ut tho
mouth when they pick up tho wrong
batrac hian by mistake, and are Often
aHected in II similar manner 10 Mr..
Browns st. Barnard; lcog-eatinc
snakes, too, detect the difference. a,i
VII not take toads, as a rule. When
snake, greatly pressed by hunger,
it again Immediately afterward,
and not unirequently dse4. Those
i'ogs which prey upon their
own kind (as most f,ogs do) desplse
their ugly relative from an nli.nentary
point Oh view; and, cui iiously enough.
cef'ain toads which dcvour frogs share
the same ant:pathy to their race. Ex-
cept with very small animals. tho
poison appears to act rather as a focnI
lrritant than Il toN,elnic agent: it hns
no effect upon the sound skin, but will
cause any nbrldcu surface to iuflatno
TO extensive ulccration, while great
pain results from its application to the
conjuuctiva or internal mucous mem.
brancs. Any one who can oyerco. a
his repugnance to tho creature su,d-
GENTLY to put his lips or tongue asajns,
the skin OF an angry toad WI eNpe.
ience an intensely acrid taste; nc should
shut his eyes in making such an ex-
pertinent, as tho post-occipital glands
sometimes emit their secretion In n
jet. Mr.. Frank Bucl.lund quo !; n
case which occuir in OxforClshirc.
where drunken brute bit Il toad's
head off. Happily, his teeth went
right through these glands, and his
'nou.h uuu tnroat lnn' lately became
swollen and inilamed to such an ex-
tent that his life was in jeopardy for
some hours. These .characteristics arc
much more strongly M... l. sI in .manv
OF the tropical Bufonide. NV piant
toads quo oI'a) used to swelter
venom when they were taken in tho
hands in such abundance TINT il >yould
pour Off their backs aud drip fro \
| them, before they became tame: and I
was thus enabled to collect a large
amount. This species FEC J., on rui.-
ana 1t IS possible that this curious exu
dation may serve TO prevent their prcv
from biting them when seized by tho
leg, or otherwise aWk warlly caught.
L once put II "cribo'' snake ID,ou,;cys
into II box with three of those
tonds for single night, for lack of
oihcr accommodation; it was a fine. ac-
tive specimen, five or six feet long.
ana KS movements dnring the night
SO disturbed them that in the morning
l found the floor or tho box all aynsi,
with fluid. Tho snake was lying on
It's back, apparently dead; and, though
IL recovered somewhat on bcin. plunr-
cd Into bath, 1t survived only IA few
'S'",fing IN N1,ow'"sl1c.
nj ls