Phyllomedusa bicolor – also known as the Sapo Frog – is an amazon native. In the flooded city of Tabatinga, Brazil, the frog’s venomous secretions are ritualistically used for cleansing, and a psychedelic high.
Yes, you read that right. Brazilian Amazon Indians engage in this ritual for purification of the body, luck, and overall strength. As a side bonus, recipients often are said to experience a strong psychedelic high and a refreshed feeling the next morning.
First things first. One has to complete the difficult task of actually finding the frog in the depths of the jungle. For an outsider – as VICE’s Hamilton Morris proved – one must illegally find a guide of the region, take a three day boat trip along the Amazon River, stay with host families who reside off the water, meet with a Shaman, and hope the hosts can find the mysterious frog. Usually after a long rain the frog will “sing” in the midst of the night, and hopefuls must explore the dense jungle, nocturnally. It is a gamble one must be willing to take. There is a high chance that the frog will not sing, and optimists will be left sober of its venomous secretions. You will also run the risk of being fined or arrested while in pursuit.
So, the hosts have managed to find the frog. It’s a stunningly large animal of a bright green color, and it’s considered to be a blessing. Now what? Lick it? Smoke it? Snort it?
Now, find a small twig, burn one side and press the hot orange end into your skin. Usually this is done on the right arm, with scars to prove it. Meanwhile, a string is fastened onto the arms and legs of the frog, and it is strung up between two posts vulnerably. The position is not unlike that of medieval torture. After poking it in the stomach lightly, it will begin to secrete its protective venom. Scrape this clear jelly off the frog’s body and rub it into an open burn wound. The more burns one has, the better. Then, wait. The first effect is said to be an “opiate high”, followed by a drunkenness and an odd loss of feeling in ones limbs. Not too long after the high comes a more sinister turn of the frog’s jelly. Users’ bodies begin purging. Vomiting and intestinal irritation ensue and will last for hours. Then you sleep for hours and dream psychedelic dreams, and when you wake, are blessed with luck, health, happiness, and a general rejuvenation. Some have claimed to be reborn with superhuman powers. The frog is (physically) unharmed and released back into the deep forest, until next time. PTSD is practically unavoidable for this scared amphibian.
Among many other things, you may be wondering what it is about this frog mucus that gets someone high? The frog’s venom has a high concentration of various opioid peptides; short chains of amino acids that evoke behavioral responses by “exciting neurons” and cause an overall sedated state.
Stay away from frog drugs, kids. Remember red ribbon week?
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC45829...
http://guardianlv.com/2014/01/frogs-psychedelic-ef...
