General Description: Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs (Rana muscosa) are creatures of high alpine streams and ponds in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California that are free of introduced trout. These are the only leopard frog in these high elevations, and they have yellow on the underside of the legs and belly.

Taxonomy: Family Ranidae: Brown Frogs.

Technical Description: Body size large (to 3 inches). Dorsum reddish brown with small light and dark spots. Ventral surface light with yellow wash. Dorsolateral folds weak to prominent. Toe tips dark.

Diet: Flying insects, especially grasshoppers.

Habitat: High alpine streams and ponds in the Sierra Nevada Mountains that are free of introduced trout. For example, shallow ponds above 10,000 feet elevation that freeze solid during winter, preventing introduced trout from surviving.

Range: High elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, also isolated population in southern California mountains.

Breeding: Breeds May to August, starting as soon as the ice melts.

Comments: These frogs are having a hard time because of habitat loss. Wherever trout are present, these frogs disappear. Trout were widely introduced in the west by wildlife management agencies to promote fishing.

If you were a tasty flying insect, you'd better hope you never see this face! These guys like the little grasshoppers common in these alpine meadows.