“Warts are caused by touching toads”

Despite a persistent old wives' tale, touching a toad will not give you warts. This widely circulated belief, which has been passed down through generations, is a myth. The truth is that warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus that is specific to humans and is not transmitted from amphibians.

Scientifically, the bumps on a toad's skin are not warts at all. These protuberances are actually glands, some of which are called parotoid glands. These glands can secrete toxins as a defense mechanism against predators, and while these secretions can be irritating to human skin, they are entirely unrelated to the virus that causes human warts. The human papillomavirus typically enters the skin through a cut or scrape, leading to the development of a wart.

The misconception likely originated because the bumpy, "warty" appearance of a toad's skin led people to falsely associate it with the contagious skin growths seen in humans. This visual similarity, combined with a lack of scientific understanding in earlier times, contributed to the enduring nature of the myth. While handling toads can pose other minor health risks due to potential bacterial presence or skin irritants from their secretions, developing warts is not among them.