666 ANIMAL LIFE IN TEE TOSEMITE 



California Red-legged Frog. Rana aurora draytonii Baird and Girard 



Field characters. — See preceding species. Total length up to 4 inches. Ear region 

 darker than rest of head; fold along upper lip often light colored; under surface of 

 hind legs usually more or less red. 



Occurrence. — Sparse resident at lower altitudes on west slope of Sierra Nevada. 

 Eecorded by us once (May 25, 19^15) at Snelling; reported from Smith Creek, 6 miles 

 east of Coulterville. Lives in damp situations near streams or ponds. 



The Red-legged Frog, known locally as "French frog" because of its 

 size and the edible quality of its flesh, was found to be uncommon in the 

 Yosemite region. We recorded it definitely only once, although Mr. Don- 

 ald D. McLean tells us that it occurs in small numbers along Smith Creek, 

 east of Coulterville. This species is more wary than the Yellow-legged 

 Frog and often escapes observation by reason of this fact. 



