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always for the community VOL 18, NO 6 June 2013
valleysentinel.com www.valleysentinel.com
SPOTLIGHT
L-R: Hannah Clark (Monte Vista); Alexa Vandevanter (San Ramon Valley); Jasmin Jenkins (Dougherty Valley); Sabrina Clayton (California High); Maureen O’Toole (Speaker)
Female Athlete of the Year honored by Danville Rotary By Staff Writer
Danville Rotary recognized four outstanding high school female athletes on Monday, May 20 at a luncheon in their honor at Faz Restaurant in Danville. The athletes were each nominated by their school and were selected based on their
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Hundreds of people turned out for Danville’s Memorial Day ceremony at Oak Hill Park on Monday, May 27. Cloudy skies made the perfect temperature, and the rain never came. The music, the presentation and the recognition of past war veterans, Purple Heart recipients and families of more recently fallen soldiers was extremely moving. If you didn’t make it this year, it is absolutely not to miss next year
Mark Twain’s “Jumping Frog” a local endangered species By James Hale
The California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii) is endemic to California, and ranges from extreme northern Baja California, Mexico through the northern half of the state. It is most common in the Coast Ranges and occurs in isolated, disjunct populations in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is apparently absent from the Central Valley floor. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Northern Redlegged Frog, however genetic studies have revealed it to be a distinct species. The California Red-legged Frog is estimated to have disappeared from over 75% of its historic range, and is now only found in about 256 streams or drainages in 28 counties of California. The frog is a federally listed threatened species of the United States and is protected by law throughout California. In March 2010, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced
1,600,000 acres of protected land for the species throughout California. The back or dorsal surface of the California Red-legged Frog is a brown, grey, olive or reddish color, with black flecks and dark, irregular, light-centered blotches, and is coarsely granulated. Above the upper jaw, a dark mask with a whitish border highlights the face. In adults, the undersides of the hind legs and abdomen are usually red, from which the frog gets its name. In young frogs the undersides may be yellow . Black, red and yellowish mottling accents the groin of mature frogs. Another characteristic feature is the dorsolateral fold, which is visible on both sides of the frog, extending from the eye to the hip. The male can be recognized by its large
forelimbs, swollen thumbs, and webbing. These features aid the male during amplexus, the courtship embrace to the female, during mating. The California Red-legged Frog is chiefly a pond and riparian frog that inhabits s t re a m s i d e s, wo o d l a n d s, grasslands and humid forests, especially where emergent vegetation such as cattails, rushes and other plants provide dense escape and protective cover. Permanent sources of water such as marshes, ponds, lakes, reservoirs and streams are preferred habitat. The frog is usually found in or near water, however after breeding and the first rains, it may disperse far from water. Overland movements of over two miles have been recorded in the Santa Cruz Mountains and
elsewhere. It is both nocturnal and diurnal. The breeding season for California Red-legged frogs is short, often lasting only one to three weeks. Depending upon locality, mating occurs from late November to May. The males call females with a stuttering, sometimes accelerating, series of guttural notes on one pitch.
This month’s Special Sections:
Kids Camps & Education page 10
Summer Health & Beauty pages 7-8
See FROGS page 10