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Enlarged front feet allow moles to dig underground while shrews do not have enlarged feet and use varied habitat. Moles are specially equipped to live underground and have ears and eyes so small they are not visible. Shrews have tiny eyes that are visible. They reuse mole and vole tunnels and are occasionally found invading buildings.

Baird's shrew is a medium-sized shrew in which the third unicuspid is smaller than the fourth. This shrew is endemic to Oregon. It occurs in the Coast Range from the Pacific Ocean east to Portland and south of the Columbia River down to Corvallis. It also occurs along the west slope of the Cascade Range from the Columbia River south to central Lane County.

This shrew is the largest member of the genus in North America. Truly a water shrew, it swims easily both on the surface and while submerged, mostly by alternate strokes of the hind feet. When leaving the water, it literally springs from the surface. In Oregon, it occurs in the northern Cascade Range in Clackamas, Hood River, and Multnomah counties, then west in Clatsop, Columbia, and Washington counties along the Columbia River, and southeasterly from Newport through Benton, Lane, Linn, Jackson and Klamath counties. Habitats include alder in riparian zones, skunk cabbage marshes, deep, dark, red cedar swamps, floating mats

The Merriam's shrew is the smallest shrew in Oregon. This brownish shrew has a short, truncated skull and is medium dark-brown on the dorsum and pinkish white on the venter; the tail is sharply bicolored in the same tones as the body with dark and light portions about equal. In Oregon, it has been found in Grant, Harney, Lake, and Wasco counties. It occupies drier habitats and is reported to be associated with sagebrush-bunchgrass habitats.

The montane shrew is slightly larger and has a slightly longer tail than the vagrant shrew. It is distinctive in that the third unicuspid is smaller than the fourth. It occurs as a small population near the Columbia River and along the Pacific Coast in Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Multnomah, and Tillamook counties and as a series of populations at higher elevations in Baker, Crook, Grant, Harney, Union, Wheeler, and Wallowa counties.

The water shrew is a large shrew with a very dark gray to black dorsal pelage, a white venter and throat, and a sharply bicolored tail. It occurs, in Oregon, as disjunct populations in the Wallowa, Blue, Ochoco, Strawberry, Steens, and Hart mountains and in the High Cascade Range west and downslope to McKenzie Bridge, Lane county. It is almost always found near water. Undercut banks, exposed tree roots, and boulder-strewn streamsides vegetated by willow, willow-grass, or willow-alder associations seem to be prime habitat. Photo by Charlie Marshall, Flickr

Preble's shrew is the smallest shrew in Oregon; adults commonly weigh less than a dime. The pelage is medium dark-brown to very dark-gray on the dorsum and silvery gray on the venter. The tail is bicolored, medium dark-brown on the dorsal surface, white on the ventral surface and darkening toward the tip. In Oregon, it has been found in Deschutes, Grant, Klamath, Lake, Harney, Malheur, and Wallowa counties. Its habitats include marshes, along streams, dry bunchgrass, and wet, alkaline habitat. Grasses and sagebrush are common to most habitats.

The fog shrew is the largest of the brown shrews in Oregon. Its range extends from Taft in Lincoln County east to near the eastern boundaries of Linn and Lane counties (except it is absent in the Willamette Valley) and southward along the west slope of the Cascade Range and in the Coast Range and Siskiyou Mountains. They are found in alder/salmonberry, riparian alder, and skunk cabbage marsh habitats and less often in conifer habitats.

Trowbridge's shrew is a medium-sized shrew, distinguished from other Oregon shrews by its dark-brown or grayish black pelage on both dorsum and venter, and its sharply bicolored tail, white below and dark brown or grayish black above. In Oregon, its range is west and south of a line connecting Parkdale, Hood River County; Pine Grove, Wasco County; Alder Spring, Lane County; Diamond Lake, Douglas County; Gearhart Mountain, Lake County; and Lakeview, Lake County. It occurs in all stages of the coniferous forest from old growth to recent clear-cuttings. Photo by Don Henise, Flickr

The shrew-mole is the smallest talpid in Oregon. The pelage is black; the eyes are rudimentary. The tail is about 50 percent of the length of the head and body, fat, sparsely haired, blunt ended, covered with transverse annular rows of scales and tufted. In Oregon, the species occurs as far east as Brooks Meadows, Hood River County; Indian Ford Campground, Deschutes County; and Fort Klamath, Klamath County. It is most abundant in moist sod-free ravines with deep, black-silt soils with high humus content and covered with a layer of dead leaves and twigs. Dominant vegetation in these areas is

The broad-footed mole is intermediate in size among Oregon moles. It occurs south of a line connecting Hugo, Josephine County; Prospect, Jackson County; Crater Lake, Klamath County; and Fort Rock and Goose Lake, Lake County. Photo from Panegyrics of Granovetter, Flickr

The coast mole is the smallest of the moles in Oregon. It occurs in Baker, Umatilla, Grant, Crook, Union, Sherman and Wasco counties east of the Cascade Range and throughout most areas west of the Cascade Range, except it is absent from much of the Willamette Valley. Photo by Peter Paquet, Flickr

Townsend's mole is the largest talpid in Oregon. In Oregon, it is restricted to the interior valleys and coastal regions west of the foothills of the Cascade Range. It occupies pastures, prairies, and shrub habitats in lowlands and river flood plains. The highest densities were recorded in pasture areas in Tillamook County. Photo by J. Maughn, Flickr

California myotis is an acrobatic flyer. It is dark brown to blond with dark ears, and feeds on moths and flies. Early in the summer, a female joins a maternity or nursery colony where she gives birth to one offspring. In winter, these bats roost in mines, caves and buildings. The California myotis is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species found throughout the state except for the Columbia Basin. Photo by ©Michael Durham

The Western small-footed myotis is among the smaller bats in Oregon and is brown to pale yellow with black ears and a black mask across its eyes and nose. It lives in dry climates, especially cliffs and rocks, and forages back and forth along the face of cliffs. It hibernates in caves and mines from November through February. In Oregon, the species only occurs east of the Cascade Range. Photo by ©Michael Durham

The long-eared myotis is pale brown to strawberry. It is a slow flier and hovers around trees and rocks to catch flies, moths and wasps. It is primarily a bat of coniferous forests in much of Oregon but may occur far from trees in shrub-steppe regions of the state. It forages in openings in dense forest, between the trees beneath the canopy in ponderosa pine, and over willow-bordered creeks. The species is known to enter dwellings and other buildings through open windows and doors, and to forage on moths therein. The long-eared myotis often day roosts in buildings, but may

This bat is commonly found in attics and buildings during summer months in maternity colonies. It weighs about half an ounce and has a wingspan of nine to 11 inches. It prefers to live in forests near water. One baby is born in spring or summer. In winter, this bat hibernates in caves. The little brown myotis occurs throughout Oregon in a wide variety of habitats, but seems especially prone to establish residence near a lake, pond, or stream. Photo by ©Michael Durham

This bat is brown to reddish brown and has relatively long forearms. It gets its name from the fringe of hairs along the bottom of its tail. It roosts in trees, snags, buildings, caves, rocks, cliffs and bridges. It likes beetles and moths but will eat spiders and crickets. The fringed myotis occurs in the Coast Range from Jackson County to Clatsop County and in the northeastern corner of the state. It's an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in seven of the nine ecoregions. Photo by ©Michael Durham

The long-legged myotis lives in forests and comes out early in the evening to hunt. It is a fast flier and will chase insects for a long distance. One baby is born in the summer, and the species hibernates in winter. In general, the long-legged myotis is a species associated with montane coniferous forests, but it also occurs in some desert and riparian habitats. The long-legged myotis is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in these ecoregions: Blue Mountains, Coast Range, East and West Cascades, Klamath Mountains, and Northern Basin and Range. Photo by ©Michael Durham

Yuma myotis emerges when it is almost dark and forages for insects over streams and ponds. This bat is gray, tan or brown; it lives in a variety of habitats. Large numbers of female bats gather together in May or June to have their young. In autumn, they migrate. Yuma myotis is found throughout the state and is associated more closely with water than any other North American species of bat. Photo by ©Michael Durham