656 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YO SEMITE 



glands but little longer than broad and separated by about the -width of 

 one of the glands. Locality will serve to distinguish the California and 

 Northwestern toads, the former occurring only on the Avest slope of the 

 mountains and the latter, so far as the Yosemite section is concerned, 

 exclusively on the east side. 



At most localities in the western foothills we found the California Toad 

 exceedingly abundant, probably in about the same numbers as were present 

 before the country was settled by the white man. In most settled districts 

 toads have suffered great decrease from one cause or another incident 

 to man's activities. Early in the morning the soft dust of roadways was 

 often closely patterned with tracks where the toads had been traveling 

 about during the preceding evening. At Pleasant Valley count was kept 

 on the evening of May 28, 1915, of the toads seen along a certain quarter- 

 mile of dusty road which passed between a hayfield and an open pasture. 

 At 7 :40 P.M., in early twilight, nine were counted ; upon returning at 

 8 :00 P.M., when the light of day was practically gone, thirteen toads were 

 checked off. 



The California Toad is such a hea\y-bodied animal that it seldom hops 

 in the conventional manner in which toads are supposed to move. When 

 not frightened it walks in slow fashion, dragging the hind feet so that 

 the toes are continually in contact with the ground. The 'track' consists 

 of a series of distinct little pits, 5 in number, indicating the positions of 

 the toes when the foot is against the ground, and the successive series of 

 dots are connected b}^ faint grooves where the toes have been dragged along 

 in the dust. 



The difference in size between females and males is marked in this 

 species. Females are decidedly larger and more heavily built, and during 

 the breeding season their skin remains rough, whereas that of the males 

 then becomes quite smooth. The males, during the breeding season at 

 least, have developed on the 'thumb' and inner sides of two adjacent 

 'fingers' areas of rough dark-colored skin, which in combination with their 

 smaller size makes possible easy distinguishment of the sexes. 



In the late spring months the toads betake themselves to pools of water 

 for the purpose of laying eggs. The spawning season had practically 

 passed when our field party arrived at Pleasant Valley in May, 1915. One 

 animal was noted croaking in the water of Piney Creek on May 22, and 

 on May 23 the small black tadpoles of this species were noticed in a small 

 creek near Forty-nine Gap. A majority of the toads taken on these dates 

 had already deposited their eggs. A few of the females — and they were the 

 largest of all, measuring 4 inches or more in length — had not laid their 

 complement of eggs. Whether there is a differential laying, with the 

 smaller animals coming first, is not known. Males were encountered in 



