Robert A. Villa: President, Tucson Herpetological Society; Community Outreach Assistant, Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, U of A
Tuesday, September 9, 2025,
3:00pm – 4:00pm,
ASA Great Room and Zoom
With the onset of heavy monsoon storms, you may have noticed a new critter emerging around small rain ponds of water. After a 9-month dormancy, the Sonoran Desert Toad (aka Colorado River Toad) emerges with deafening choruses as males pursue mating. Up to 8,000 eggs are spawned and tadpoles must survive for about a month before their aquatic environment disappears. The toadlets then develop into large adults. This species, especially adapted to the Sonoran desert, produces a psychedelic substance. unique among toads and vertebrates. Its smooth skin secretes a toxin which protects it from being eaten by other animals and requires special handling by herpetologists. This psychedelic component has put the toad at greater risk due to a demand for this chemical. Learn about the unusual story behind its discovery from Robert Villa.
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