 Other than the previously mentioned use as a biological control for pests , the cane toad has been employed in a number of commercial and noncommercial applications . Traditionally , within the toad 's natural range in South America , the Embera @-@ Wounaan would " milk " the toads for their toxin , which was then employed as an arrow poison . The toxins may have been used as an entheogen by the Olmec people . The toad has been hunted as a food source in parts of Peru , and eaten after the careful removal of the skin and parotoid glands . When properly prepared , the meat of the toad is considered healthy and as a source of omega @-@ 3 fatty acids . More recently , the toad 's toxins have been used in a number of new ways : bufotenin has been used in Japan as an aphrodisiac and a hair restorer , and in cardiac surgery in China to lower the heart rates of patients . New research has suggested that the cane toad 's poison may have some applications in treating prostate cancer . 
