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What causes toads to have warty skin?

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A pangolin walks through grass with a blue circle around it and the word endangered written in white across the image. — Integument The pangolin is the only mammal in the world covered in scales.

It is a common misconception that toads cause warts in humans; this is entirely untrue. The "warty" appearance of a toad's skin is actually caused by local thickenings of the skin.1234

These bumps are not related to human skin conditions but serve functional purposes for the animal. Many of these structures contain poison-secreting glands that help deter predators. These glands are often most concentrated in the prominent raised areas behind the eyes known as the parotid glands. While these secretions can irritate the eyes and mucous membranes of predators, they do not transmit warts.13