American Toad

No. The idea that handling a toad causes warts is a myth with no basis — human warts are caused by human papillomaviruses and have nothing to do with amphibians. The toad's skin is covered in wart-like bumps, which is almost certainly where the folklore comes from, but those are glands, not anything contagious. What is true is that a toad's skin secretes irritant toxins, especially from the large parotoid glands behind the eyes, so after handling a toad you should avoid touching your eyes or mouth and should wash your hands. Handling also stresses the toad and can damage its skin, so it is best kept brief and gentle, with clean wet hands.

They are mildly toxic, enough to make a dog sick but rarely enough to kill one. When a dog bites or mouths an American toad, the parotoid glands release bufotoxins that taste foul and irritate the mouth, so most dogs immediately drool heavily, foam, paw at the muzzle, and drop the toad. Rinsing the dog's mouth out with running water (pointing the head down so it does not swallow) and watching it is usually enough. Larger amounts can cause vomiting, unsteadiness, and changes in heart rhythm, so a vet visit is warranted if symptoms are more than brief mouth irritation. The American toad is far less dangerous than the cane toad or the Colorado River toad, whose toxins regularly kill dogs.

That is the advertisement call of the male American toad, and it is one of the most distinctive amphibian sounds in eastern North America — a sustained, even, musical trill that can last anywhere from about 4 to 30 seconds, repeated over and over. Males gather at the edges of shallow ponds, ditches, and flooded fields on warm nights in early spring, inflate a round throat pouch, and call to attract females and space themselves from rival males. Because each male trills at a slightly different pitch, a full chorus has a shimmering quality. Females move toward the calls, and pairs mate in the water, where the female releases her eggs in long strings.

The words toad and frog are common-name labels, not strict scientific categories — all toads are frogs in the biological sense (order Anura). But the animals people call toads, including the American toad and its relatives in the family Bufonidae, share a recognisable set of traits — dry, thick, warty skin rather than smooth moist skin; shorter hind legs built for walking and short hops rather than long leaps; a stockier body; prominent parotoid glands behind the eyes; and a habit of living on land, often far from water, returning to ponds only to breed. Frogs such as the American bullfrog tend to have smooth wet skin, long jumping legs, and stay close to water. The American toad shows all the classic toad features.