Creature Feature – Don’t Blame the Toads

You’ve likely heard it said that if you pick up a toad, you might “catch warts.” Let’s shatter this myth once and for all! Warts on people occur when a human virus comes into contact with skin, causing an infection—so don’t blame the toads. 

Nevertheless, handling toads can cause some skin irritation, as all those “warty” bumps on their bodies are actually glands containing a noxious liquid that toads secrete when they feel threatened. This is their first line of defense against predators. The milky secretion is sticky, foul tasting, and—in some species of toads including the cane toad and Colorado River toad—can be highly toxic, capable of causing severe illness, seizures, heart failure and death in dogs and cats within minutes.

Rest assured, however, that our region’s common native species, the American toad (Anaxyrus americanus), possesses only a mild, non-lethal toxin meant to discourage predators rather than kill them. While certain animals, such as snapping turtles and opossums, can usually safely eat toads due to their high tolerance for such toxins, people should thoroughly wash their hands after handling toads—not for fear of getting warts, but to prevent possible skin or eye irritation. 

Article & photo by Margie Manthey