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The kit fox is the smallest canid that occurs in Oregon. It has the typical canid conformation: the body is slim, the legs are long and thin, and the ears are large and erect. The tail is about 40 percent of the total length and is tipped with black, but has no dark mane on the dorsal surface. The feet and legs are whitish interiorly, light rusty-brown posteriorly. The dorsum is grizzled brownish-gray medially blending to grizzled gray then to light buff laterally and finally to white on the chest and venter. The head and posterior surface of the ears…

Features: Coastal rainbow trout are often residualized steelhead that spend their entire life cycle in fresh water, never migrating to sea. They are a silvery color with black spots on their backs and fins, and a pink band running down their sides. Often their gill covers are pink as well. The pelvic anal, and dorsal fins have a white edge to them. Habitat: They can be found in cold rivers, creeks, and inland lakes. However, they require streams with clean gravel, complex habitat, and cool temperatures for spawning and rearing. Techniques: Trout in stillwaters tend to be on the move…

Features: A medium-size goose, adult snow geese are white with black-tipped wings that are visible in flight. Their pronounced pink bill has a dark "grinning" patch across it, and they have pinkish feet. Young of the year snow geese are grayish white with grey legs and bills. These birds are very vocal and can be heard over a mile away. Habitat: Snow geese are well-adapted to agricultural land. They can also be found in wetlands, roosting in open water. Sauvie Island, Summer Lake and Klamath wildlife areas have abundant snow goose populations during various times of year. Technique: Snow geese…

Sperm whales inhabit all oceans of the world, and have been observed in Oregon waters from March through November. Sperm whales are usually found in deep off-shore waters so they are only occasionally seen off Oregon by fishers and birders on offshore trips. It is the largest of the toothed whales and possesses the largest brain of any animal with an enormous head to house it. Sperm whales have 20 to 26 large conical teeth found only in their lower jaw. A mature male can grow to 52 feet long with its head representing up to one-third of its length…

Features: Channel catfish are pale bluish-olive above and bluish-white below with a deeply forked tail, dorsal and pectoral spines, and an adipose fin. Like all other catfish, channel catfish have “whiskers” or barbels extending from the chin and upper jaw. Young fish have a varying number of small black spots over much of the body, while older fish may be partially or entirely without spots. Maximum size in Oregon approaches 40 pounds, but most are less than 10 pounds. Habitat: Channel catfish in western Oregon are limited to the Columbia River, lower Willamette River, and a few ponds in the…