Maybe I shouldn’t admit it, but truth is stranger than fiction on most days. So I do what any sensible writer would do, I look for inspiration in the real world before I give it a fantasy spin.

In Dragons Beyond the Pale, we met the Azure Striped Forest Wyrms whose blue stripe secreted psychoactive chemicals that affected major dragons. A certain, problematic dragon imprisoned these little dragons so she could use them for recreational purposes, maybe even throwing her own private parties to share with her friends.

Real Life Inspiration

Some of the real life inspiration here is pretty obvious, but some might not be, so I share with you the real life inspiration for the azure striped forest wyrms, the Sonora Desert Toad, also known as the Colorado River toad.

This little beauty is considered semiaquatic, which means it can be found in desert areas as well as near bodies of water. Not surprisingly, it is found near the lower Colorado River, southwestern New Mexico, southern Arizona, California, and in the Mexican states of Sonora, .Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua.

The Colorado River toad can reach 7.5 inches long, making it the largest native toad in the US. In addition to insects, this large amphibian also eats lizards, amphibians, and small mammals. Yikes! That alone makes it a great candidate for dragon inspirations.

Where it gets really interesting

But what really makes it interesting is how it defends itself against predators.

It has a large parotid gland behind its big, bulgy eyes, another gland around the eardrum, and a number of white glands on its head and legs. All of them secrete toxins. So when a predator like a skunk, raccoon, dog, or bird attacks, they get more than they bargained for. Dogs have been known to become paralyzed or even die from attacking these critters. In the wild, some racoons have developed an approach to hunting toads that involves avoiding the venomous top side and flipping them over to attack the belly. I suppose if you’re really hungry that makes sense. Me, I think I’d leave them alone.

Interesting thing about the venom, though. Apparently it has psychedelic properties comparable to well known psychedelic drugs. And you guessed it, the properties are often accessed by licking the toads.

Yep, it’s a thing–and that’s why the dragons did it. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction.

And just in case it needs to be said. Please do not take this as a suggestion to go lick toads. Please, just don’t. It really isn’t good for you–muscle weakness, rapid heart rate and vomiting just for starters. Please don’t. And frankly I don’t imagine it’s much fun for the toads either.

So leave it to the dragons!