Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-01-11
ARE TOADS POISONOUS!

In answer to this query, propounded by
Mr. Herbert Brown in a recent number OF
knowledge, decided affirmative may be re-
turned. The toad is venOmous, though not
in the way that is implied by the general ac-
ceptation of that term, as is commonly be-
lieved. Nothing can be more harmless than
the bite of common toad-if it can he said
to bite for it has no teeth. But the glands
contained in the papillie and rogosltles OF the
skin covering the back, in the form OF two
bead-lSe eminences just behind the head,
secrete milky, highly acrid fluid, which IS
exuded profusely on irritation. Indeed, II 1t
were not for this poisonous secretion the poor
toad would fall an easy victim to many enc
mics, having the agility of the frog or lizard
to enable him to escape, nor the teeth nor
claws of other reptiles wherewith to defend
itself. Cats, which are eager hunters OF frogs
for food, spit and foam at the mouth when
they pick up the wrong batchian by mistake,
and are often affected in a similar manner to
Mr. Browns St. Bernard. Frog-eatmg snakes,
too. detect the difference and will not eat
toads, as a rule. When snake, greatly press
ed by hunger swallows one, it usually rejects
it again Immediately afterwards, and not
unfreuuently dies. Those frogs which prey
upon their own kind las most frogs do) des-
pte their ugly relative from an alimentary
point of view, and, curiously enough, certain
loads which devour frogs share the same an
tipathv to their race. Except with very small
animals, the poison appears to act rather as
a local irritant than a tOX;emic agent; 1t has
no effect upon the sound skin, but will cause
any abraded surface to inflame to extensive
liberation, while great pain results from its
application to the cOnjunctive or internal
mucuous membranes. Any one who can over
l.. TO fhn fI1rp
" to put his lips or tongue against the skin OF
an angry toad will experience al intensive
acrid taste; he should shut his eyes III max
ing such an experiment, as the post Occlpltal
glands sometimes emit their secretion in a jet
Mr.. Frank Buckland quotes case which oc-
Cured in OXfor(lshire, where a drunken brute
bit a toad's head off, Happily, his teeth went
right through these glands and Immediately
became swollen and intiamed to such an ex-
tent that his life was in jeopardy for some
hours. These characteristics are much more
strongly marked in many of the tropical Bufon-
ida. My giant toads (bufa aqua) used to
swelter venom when they were taken III the
hand in such abundance that it would pour
off their backs and drip from them, before
they became tame; and L was thus enaDleu
to collect a large amount. IhS species feedS
on rats and it is possible that this coplous eXu-
dation may serve to prevent their prey from
biting them when seized by the leg, or other
wise awkwardly caught. l once put ''cribo"
snake (dromieus fugitivus) into a box with
three of these toads for single night, for lack
of other accommodation it was fine, active
specimen, five or six feet long, and it's move
ments during the night so disturbed them in
the morning l found the floor box all awash
with fluid. The snake was lying on its back
apparently dead: ald, though it recovered
somewhat on being plunged into bath, it
survived only (. few days