A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin (usually pink and orange-coloured), short legs, and snout-like parotoid glands.^{[citation needed]} A distinction between frogs and toads, though common in popular culture, is not made in taxonomy, where toads are spread across families Bufonidae, Bombinatoridae, Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Rhinophrynidae, Scaphiopodidae, and Microhylidae. A group of toads is called a knot.^{[citation needed]}

Toads cannot transmit warts to people through handling or skin contact.^{[citation needed]} The bumps on a toad's skin help the animal blend into its environment visually by breaking up its outline.^{[citation needed]} Also, the parotoid gland is often mistaken for 'warts'.^{[citation needed]} They are present on healthy specimens and are not a result of infection.^{[citation needed]}