What Are the Dangers of Frogs?

While most frogs are not dangerous to humans or animals, some are so poisonous you can die if their poison enters your bloodstream. To be safe, never pick up a frog or toad you cannot identify, and always wash your hands immediately afterward if you do. Keep your pets away from frogs as well; ingesting the frog or even licking it can seriously injure your pet.

Deadly Frog Toxins

• All frogs have secretions on their skin that contain mild toxins; however, some can be deadly. Most highly poisonous frogs live in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America. However, there are poisonous frogs in captivity in North America. To be on the safe side, assume any brightly colored frog is poisonous, even though this is not true. If the frog is poisonous, the chemicals secreted by its skin can enter your bloodstream through an open cut or if you accidentally ingest them. The "dart poison" name for these types of frogs originated from the local tribal practice of using the frogs' poison to make darts lethal.

Deadly Toad Toxins

• Cane toads, also known as giant toads or marine toads, are native to North, Central and tropical South America. They were introduced into Australia in the 1930s to control the beetle population. Cane toads secrete a toxin that is harmful to humans and pets. The toads do not bite -- humans and pets must ingest or touch the poison to be affected. Because toads like to eat dog food out of bowls placed outside, dogs often become victims of toad poisoning when they bite or otherwise try to chase the toads away from their food. The poison debilitates the heart and can result in the death of the dog. While cane toad poison is not usually lethal to humans, the recovery can be very painful.

Poison Toad Legs and Eggs

• Cane toad eggs are poisonous to humans and animals. In some instances, people have died from eating toad eggs. Additionally, the legs of cane toads may be tainted with some of the poison found on the toad's skin. Only eat toads and frogs that are prepared and cooked thoroughly by a knowledgeable cook.

Mild Irritations

• Because all frogs have some toxins on their skin, holding them can cause minor skin and eye irritations. For example, some people experience a rash or irritated eyes after touching Cuban treefrogs, which are considered an invasive, exotic species in parts of Florida. Wash your hands immediately after touching a frog, and never rub your eyes after handling one.