Data from: Diet and chemical defenses of the Sonoran Desert toads

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
produce chemical defenses endogenously or through symbiotic interactions,
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 I. alvarius
Sonoran Desert toads synthesizes 5-MeO-DMT endogenously, or via a
microbial symbiont.