Do frogs and toads give you warts?
No — the evidence does not support this claim.
Touching frogs or toads gives you warts.
What the evidence shows
Handling frogs or toads does not cause warts. Warts in humans are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), which spreads between people, not from amphibians. The myth likely arose because many frogs and toads have bumpy, wart-like skin — but those bumps are glands, not a source of infection. Some amphibian skin secretions can irritate skin, but they cannot give you warts.
This summary describes a fact-check originally published by Burke Museum. FactGuard did not conduct this review; we summarize it and link to the original. Read the original fact-check by Burke Museum →
Sources
- Burke Museum (University of Washington)
- Dermatology — human papillomavirus
Published 2026-06-07 · Last reviewed 2026-06-07
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