CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : ‘That’s No Frog, That’s a Dinosaur’

The Seattle amphibian collector whose giant African frogs have brought him and them star status relished his fame at a suburban country fair. “People love my crazy frogs,” Andy Koffman said. About 200 spectators crowded into a small hay-covered arena for a glimpse of the African Goliath frogs at the Orangevale Grange Country Youth Fair and Exhibit. “Whoa, that ain’t no frog; that’s a dinosaur,” said an elderly man. “I wish I had one for a pet,” said 8-year-old Kerry Keefer. After a prolonged controversy over whether the giant frogs could enter the 62nd annual Jumping Frog Jubilee at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, officials ruled last month that the smallest of the frogs could jump. The agreement permits only frogs that can fit onto the official “frog launching pads” about eight inches in diameter.