My buddy Robert is all upset over the latest news to come out of Sacramento. As a California valley quail, he’s long enjoyed his status as the state bird, frolicking among golden poppies and telling his cousins in other states about the best surf spots—even though he’s never set a foot on a board in his life.
Gov. Jerry Brown, it seems, is widening the state-status club to include an official amphibian, which, of course, is the California red-legged frog.
“There goes the neighborhood,” Robert said, at which I rolledmy eyes.
He apparently didn’t notice, because he went on: “Those little fly-gobblers are already so high and mighty with their mention in Mark Twain’s overrated short story, plus their ‘threatened’ status or whatever endangered terror level they’re at now. They’re insufferable.”
I bit my tongue. How often does Robert interact with red-legged frogs, anyway? As far as I know, they prefer slow-moving creeks and cool pools—not exactly prime quail habitat.
Besides, there’s already a state mammal (grizzly bear), state marine mammal (gray whale), state reptile (desert tortoise), state insect (the unfortunately named California dog-faced butterfly), state fish (golden trout), and state marine fish (garibaldi). There’s even a state gem, rock, mineral, tree, fossil, and grass.
Yes, California had an official grass before it had an official amphibian, so it’s not like this is some exclusive club.
Anyway, a notice from the state’s news service says that the new status—which is actually a law—goes into effect at the start of 2105. The web-footed creature’s champions hope that an increased spotlight will attract more attention.
“Amphibians have traditionally been neglected in education,” wrote Dr. Kerry Kriger of a group called Save the Frogs, “so this will bring the plight of the red-legged frogs directly to tens of thousands of California students.”
Robert was appalled at this, but I think he was upset for the wrong reason. Apparently, Twain’s story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” is no longer celebrated enough to be alerting tens of thousands of California students to the fact that these colorful hoppers exist.
Not reading the classics? That’s a major pity. Otherwise, I say more power to the frogs. It ain’t easy being green—and red.
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This article appears in Jul 10-17, 2014.