Can toads give people warts?
This is one wildlife myth that has little basis in reality. While it’s true that toads have “warty” skin when compared to frogs, which are usually smooth-skinned, they definitely keep their warts to themselves! However, toads can produce skin secretions from the bumps on their skin and/or the large bean-shaped glands behind their eyes. Some of these can be irritating or even toxic if they come into contact with the mucous membranes (the eyes, nose or mouth) of predators — including people! Wash your hands after handling a toad, or better yet, enjoy these animals from a distance. Toad watching is easy to do on wet spring nights from April to June when American toads, Bufo americanus, burrow out of the soil where they spent the winter and migrate to ponds to mate. In areas of shallow water, males sing a trill song throughout the night to attract females. A male clasps a female behind the front legs and they swim together while two long strands of eggs, numbering several thousand, are re
