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The American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is a common species of toad found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. It is divided into 3 subspecies: the eastern American toad (A. a. americanus), the dwarf American toad (A. a. charlesmithi), and the rare Hudson Bay toad (A. a. copei). Recent taxonomic treatments place this species in the genus Anaxyrus instead of Bufo.

Toads like the American toad are characterized by dry and leathery skin, brown coloration, and wart-like parotoid glands. 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". Toads cannot transmit warts to people through handling or skin contact. The bumps on a toad's skin help the animal blend into its environment visually by breaking up its outline. Also, the paratoid gland is often mistaken as 'warts'. They are present on healthy specimens and are not a result of infection.

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