anne43

Few people can tell the difference between a toad and a frog. Whilst the usual rule is that a toad has thicker skin, shorter legs, and lays eggs in a line, and not a cluster, even experts can get confused.

One thing the toad suffers from is an historical revulsion by many groups of people. In seventeenth century England, toads and witches were considered in league with the devil.

The classic picture of a witch, was a woman of a certain age, still living alone, with a black cat, and warts.

Warts were thought to be the Devil's mark, and was contracted by handling toads. Funnily enough, both frogs and toads do often suffer from warts, but my Aunt lives in the toad free city of Manchester, and still contracted some warts on her fingers.

Warts are generally harmless, but they are highly contagious. Not only can a person with a wart on their hand, pass it on with a handshake, they can also spread more warts on their own person if they are not careful.

The human papillomavirus, or HPV, comes in many strains. The ones that appear most commonly are usually found on fingers and hands. This is because it may have been picked up from some inanimate object such as a stair rail, or door handle.

My Aunt's wart removal Manchester was a simple procedure. I do not know which treatment was used as there are several. Cryotherapy is common but so to is the practice of encasing it in a bubble that prevents vital air getting to it.

There is only one type of wart that must be taken more seriously and that is genital warts. These are passed on between couples, and if sexual intercourse is involved, it can, if left untreated, become particularly dangerous for a woman's health.

In the case of this genital wart, it is best to seek advice from your GP or an STD clinic.

Meanwhile, don't take it out on the poor maligned toad. Along with frogs, they are still some of the most fascinating survivors on planet Earth.