It Peed on Me! Does This Colorado Toad’s Pee Cause Warts?

Not everyone thinks toads and frogs are adorable. Then there are many of us who think they are so cute we must pick them up because that is the natural reaction.

Just about as quickly as you pick up that cute little toad, it will pee on you. Usually, this causes you to release the tiny amphibian. That is the whole point of this reaction. It's a natural response to a perceived threat. Guess they don't know we just want to love them and squeeze them, not eat them.

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Since I was little I've been picking up toads, and since I was little they have been peeing on me. I cannot even count how many times people have mentioned that I was going to get warts from holding toads.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, these are the common Woodhouse Toad found in Colorado "at elevations below 7,000 feet, to around 8,000 feet in the San Luis Valley." One of their main characteristics is a couple of warts on their back.

So, does toad pee cause warts? No. No, it does not. It's a myth, a rumor, a fictional story. According to Critter Squad, "This rumor comes from the fact that the toads are bumpy and warty themselves. So, back in the day, people would think that when you touched one you would get warts in return."  This is just part of their cute little toad skin. Human warts are caused by a virus and are sometimes said to be from a B12 deficiency, or weakened immune systems, not toads.