Just a few
weeks ago, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation designating one of our local
Sunol Valley animals -- the California red-legged frog -- as the official State
Amphibian! Since getting an autograph is out of the question, we thought we’d
offer you a reintroduction to our famous resident instead.
The
California red-legged frog is the largest native frog in the state and was
first made famous in Mark Twain’s The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras
County. According to the
National Wildlife Federation, true to its name, they have reddish coloring on
the underside of their legs and belly. They dine on anything they can catch and
fit into their mouths. Mostly insects, but the occasional amphibian or small
mammal might also become dinner. Speaking of dinner, California red-legged
frogs were once a popular dinner cuisine during the Gold Rush era.
Contra Costa
and Alameda Counties contain the majority of known observations of California
red-legged frogs in the San Francisco Bay Area (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2002). Today, their existence is threatened due to
loss of habitat, particularly near urban communities and development.
Thankfully, the 36,000 acres of Southern Alameda Creek Watershed lands owned by
the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has been protected and is a haven
for our famous residents.
Our primary goal
as watershed stewards is to protect existing populations, control non-native
predators, and protect habitat for the red-legged frogs. As we make progress on
our Water System Improvement Program in Sunol Valley, our Environmental
Compliance teams work side by side with construction contractors to ensure our
newly-designated Official State Amphibian is safe from harm.
