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The National Park Service wants people to stop licking the Sonoran Desert toad

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. The National Park Service wants to remind you not to feed or pet the wildlife. And also, please stop licking the toads - specifically the Colorado River toad, which secretes a toxin that can make you sick. But because the toads' toxic secretions also contain a powerful hallucinogen, toad licking has become sort of a thing, to the point where the amphibians are considered threatened in New Mexico. So if you do see a toad, just leave it be.

(SOUNDBITE OF TOAD CROAKING)

MARTIN: It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.