CA: Frog photos make big splash in Half Moon Bay (red-legged frog)

Mercury News ^ | 10/09/04 | Renee Koury

[NormsRevenge]

Chris Giorni knows his plops. As a herpetologist, his ear is trained to distinguish the distinctive belly-flops of rare frogs landing in remote ditches, creeks and coves.

But oh what a splash one of his latest discoveries has caused.

Lying in wait, khakis waist deep in water, camera at the ready, Giorni says he encountered a California red-legged frog on a piece of Half Moon Bay property slated for one of the biggest developments the coast has seen in two decades.

Giorni's photos of the threatened frog have put the brakes on the controversial Wavecrest Village. They've also raised suspicion among some in this seaside hamlet who wonder whether project opponents planted the frog just before a crucial environmental review. There's even a new riddle bandying about town: ``When is a frog not a frog? When it's a plant.''

Absurd, says Giorni. He's miffed by the suggestion that somebody would tamper with nature -- especially him, an adjunct teacher with the California Academy of Sciences -- for political gain. And besides, he said, if this wasn't frog habitat, ``if you had one, and put it out there, it would die.''

Since the discovery this summer, state and federal biologists have descended on the property and declared the scraggly coyote brush and ponds as suitable habitat for both the frog and the endangered San Francisco garter snake. However, they didn't see a frog for themselves. ..

--snip--

Wavecrest's biologists say they had scoured the property for years but never stumbled upon one of the slimy pomegranate-colored amphibians. Now, developers must scramble to protect the frog because it's on both state and U.S. threatened species lists.

``Usually this kind of information comes up early on and developers work around it,'' said Dave Johnston, a biologist with state Fish and Game.

[NormsRevenge]

Here's a link and a shot or two.. looks like they are all over the coastal area. but anything to screw developers up and local governments out of additional source of revenues.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/narcam/idguide/raurora.htm

[NormsRevenge]

[dr_who_2]

Ying tong iddy I-po!

[NormsRevenge]

sauteed or baked? ;-)

[martin_fierro]

He's miffed by the suggestion that somebody would tamper with nature -- especially him, an adjunct teacher with the California Academy of Sciences -- for political gain.

[EggsAckley]

Don't forget the garlic butter!

[elbucko]

They've also raised suspicion among some in this seaside hamlet who wonder whether project opponents planted the frog just before a crucial environmental review.

Suspicion? Under these circumstances, I would consider the appearance of the frog as a "plant" until proven otherwise. The burden of proof is on those who purportedly "found" the frog.

When is some Republican California lawmaker in Sacramento going to author an "Environmental Fraud" bill? Never mind, I just remembered, California doesn't have a Republican Party!

[EagleUSA]

Oh oh, Miss Piggy is going into heat again!!!

[ReadyNow]

The frog-looking John Kerry.

[EagleUSA]

Yes, the ENVIRO-WHACKOS are going to go nuts over this one...OK, we are making a special deal for those people...for every red-legged frog you save, you get a FREE FREEZE-DRIED SPOTTED OWL !!!!

[NormsRevenge]

:-) smack laps ... !!!

[NormsRevenge]

uhh,, lips :-)

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The burden of proof is on those who purportedly "found" the frog.

That would be true if this happened in America, but it happened in Kalifornia.

[fizziwig]

I'll bet the endangered garter snakes eat those tasty red-legged frogs!

There was a big row over the giant garter snake here in sacto living on land across from Arco Arena that was pegged for development. End result.....full and complete development has occurred anyway.

Necessity and money will trump the ecowacko's everytime....eventually!

[midwyf]

That won't work. The enviro policies have resulted in most of the owls being baked when the diseased bug killed forests burn.
I'm amazed at you guys, you really think an enviro would plant a frog to shut down a development? Tut tut. didn't you read, he could tell by the sound of the splash just what kind of frog he was going to find?
There is no end to their perfidy, but you ought to live in Wyoming if you want to see the impacts they can have. Two schools in the next county have had to put grizzly resistant fences around the school grounds to keep the bears away from the kids. But there are not enough bears to delist.

[Dustbunny]

Reminds me of the Lynx hair incident which was also planted.

[Dustbunny]

Federal and state wildlife biologists planted false evidence of a rare cat species in two national forests, officials told The Washington Times.

Had the deception not been discovered, the government likely would have banned many forms of recreation and use of natural resources in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Wenatchee National Forest in Washington state.

[elbucko]

Reminds me of the Lynx hair incident...

I forgot about that. What we need is "Environmentalist Control".

[elbucko]

but it happened in Kalifornia.

Yes, the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia.

[HolgerDansk]

Five years ago, when they were building the BART extension to the San Francisco Airport, an enviroweasel discovered a squished salamander on the construction site. A judge promptly halted activity for months, then allowed it to continue as long as trucks were speed-limited to ten MPH on the site. Speed was radar enforced. Net result: project ran over a year late and almost 100% over budget.

Meanwhile, a few yards away, Caltrain ripped along at 79 mph, as did the Southern Pacific before it for more than a century...

[HolgerDansk]

...oh, and did I mention that cold-blooded reptiles like salamanders like to rest on steel rails, since it helps them regulate their body heat?

[newzjunkey]

MMMmmmm TASTY!

[newzjunkey]

endangered San Francisco garter snake

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

I wouldn't be surprised at all that this "frog" is a plant.

[Navy Patriot]

Environazis would never plant frogs, or lynx hair, or eagle feathers, or harvest mice, or snail darters or pike. Nor would they ever lie about spotted owl, or fuel load. They are too ethical.

Oh yes, and those fires they started, that was accidental.

[EggsAckley]

LOL!!

That wouldn't be one of them "Freudian Slips" would it?

Heheheh.

[Phsstpok]

:-) smack laps ... !!!

uhh,, lips :-)

I don't know about Piggy (Frank Oz), but I knew the lady who performed Spamela Hamderson (the busty pig on the baywatch skits on Muppets Tonight) and she would have shown that little froggy a thing or two.

[Probus]

Kalifornia has their frogs, we in WY have our wolves and grizzlies. It's all B.S.

Here is a concept many cannot grasp: "It's just a freakin' frog/bear/wolf/toad/plant/mouse, whatever."

[AF68]

In my neck of the woods, the environazis tried to stop a DNR shooting range because the noise would disturb a "rare" salamander species a nearby pond. Nevermind that the salamander was quite common in the area and they can't hear anyway.

[M-cubed]

speaking of lip smackers...brigs to mind yet another endandered species...The Red-headed double-breasted matress-thrasher...Ive been secretly protecting them most of my life!

[Syncro]

Bear with me here...

[midwyf]

Yeah, but at least they don't have to put special fences around the school yards to keep the stupid frogs out.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[backhoe]

I'll be lurking on dialup until Bellsouth clears the line/dsl problems we're having. Until then, consider me a Silent Key.

[farmfriend]

Until then, consider me a Silent Key.

No problem. I can even take you off the list until you get it staightened out if you wish. Just let me know.

[farmfriend]

Never mind, I just remembered, California doesn't have a Republican Party!

I would it were not true.

[Seadog Bytes]

Thanks for the ping!

I read the article this morning in the local paper. My favorite part was:

Q: "When is a frog NOT a frog???

A: "When it's a 'PLANT'...!!!"

...PERFECT!

[farmfriend]

He's miffed by the suggestion that somebody would tamper with nature -- especially him, an adjunct teacher with the California Academy of Sciences -- for political gain.

He obviously has not heard of the Lynx hair plants. And just because it is frog habitat does not mean they were there to start with. I hate news articles that have no logic in them.

[Seadog Bytes]

RE: "He's miffed by the suggestion that somebody would tamper with nature -- especially him, an adjunct teacher with the California Academy of Sciences -- for political gain."

Even if one were to (...bend *way* over backwards and) give him the benefit of the doubt...that doesn't discount the possibility(...er...probability?) that someone ELSE did so. It's NOT like he's the ONLY one in the state who'd be interested in having such a critter "found" in that area.

ELSEwhere in the article I note...``You only sight one frog in three years? Come on,'' said Susan Stuart, one of the doubters, a cancer researcher who sent one of dozens of letters to the local newspaper on the topic. Her take: ``In my business -- biotechnology -- the frog finding would have been laughed out of the scientific journals.''

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!!

[muir_redwoods]

It's a frog!!! Who cares??? The woodponds are full of them where I live. Trust me, there will always be enough.

[ErnBatavia]

...oh, and did I mention that cold-blooded reptiles like salamanders like to rest on steel rails, since it helps them regulate their body heat?

It took me a couple of years to figure out why I'd find, rather frequently, dead scorpions around where we'd park in the garage, or where visitors would park in the driveway....until it dawned on me that at night, the little buggers would head for the warm (by comparison) tires, and get offed when the car got moved.

[tubebender]

sauteed or baked? ;-)

Your link to Minniesoota is showing. Us natives know you roll them in a egg wash and real bread crumbs and fry them in a cast iron skillet.

I will be passing through Half Moon Bay on the 19th and I'm taking my Daddy's frog gig...

[backhoe]

Naw, keep me on- I'll have plenty to wade through, so a little more shouldn't matter. I'd forgotten how wretched dialup was- but it's coming back to me!

[farmfriend]

I'd forgotten how wretched dialup was- but it's coming back to me!

I love my cable.

[Carry_Okie]

Lying in wait, khakis waist deep in water, camera at the ready, Giorni says he encountered a California red-legged frog on a piece of Half Moon Bay property slated for one of the biggest developments the coast has seen in two decades.

Gasp! You don't say! What a shockingly propitious coincidence.

It would seem that this case has lynx with others we have seen.

[sf4dubya]

The enviro-wackos in Half Moon Bay are doing this to keep their property values artificially high. I wish I was kidding and not being a conspiracy nut.

[B4Ranch]

Isn't the California red-legged frog the one you raise in the 'other' room for snacks during the NASCAR races. Fried frog legs are grrrreat!

[freepatriot32]

im not one for conspiracy theorys but really how hard would it beto take one of these ""rare"" frogs from anywhere on the west coast where they are apparently thriving and planting one just one mind you in this future development