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Bear facts: Is it a black bear or a grizzly bear? Oregon is black bear country. Although native to the area, there are no longer grizzly bears in the state. The last grizzly bear recorded was killed in the late 1930s at Billy Meadows, north of Enterprise in Wallowa County. However, because black bears are often brown, people sometimes wonder what species of bear they have seen. Here is some information on bear identification. Q. Grizzly bears are brown and black bears are black. Correct? A. Not really. Grizzly bears can be brown, blond, grey, reddish or silver tipped. Black…

The elk is the largest cervid in Oregon. These heavy-bodied, deer-like mammals have narrow faces tapering to a naked nose pad; relatively small, pointed ears; a heavily maned neck; a back slightly humped at the shoulders, a contrasting rump patch; and a small tail. Pelage color is grayish brown to reddish brown, somewhat lighter among males in winter. The mane is dark brown and the rump patch and tail are cream colored. The underparts (except for a whitish patch between the hind legs) and legs are dark brown to almost blackish. Adult females, their current offspring, and their female offspring…

Adult treefrogs have a dark mask that extends from the tip of the nose across the eyes to the shoulders. Coloration varies between individuals, ranging from green or reddish to brown or gray. Most have dark blotches along their sides with light colored bumpy undersides. They have special skin glands that produce a waxy coating to keep their skin moist. Male treefrogs have a dark gray, inflatable throat pouch during the breeding season. As the smallest frog species in Oregon, adult Northern Pacific treefrogs only grow to two inches in length. During the non-breeding season, this treefrog is found in…

The American bullfrog is a non-native invasive frog that survives and reproduces very successfully in Oregon. Bullfrogs aggressively compete for food and living space with our native frogs. They eat many types of native wildlife including other frogs, young pond turtles, and ducklings. Bullfrogs can lay almost 10 times more eggs than native frogs and can quickly out number them. Photo by Kathy Munsel

Oregon's owls are mostly nocturnal, hunting for insects, fish, frogs, birds, mice and other small mammals in the night. Their hoots, screeches and calls can be heard after dark or early in the morning. Owls don't build nests, but instead use tree cavities, nests created by other species, naturally occurring structures or human-made nest platforms. The Western burrowing owl nests underground in abandoned dens dug by squirrels, prairie dogs and badgers. Learn more about Oregon's owls.

Worldwide, frogs and toads are in trouble because of habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, climate change, diseases, the pet trade and competition from invasive species. Many of Oregon's 12 native species of frogs and toads are listed as Oregon Conservation Strategy Species of concern. Frogs and toads belong to the same animal group but are very different. Toads have dry, rough and bumpy skin covering a wide body while frogs are slender with smooth, moist skin. Frog eyes are higher on the head than toads and are rounder and bulging. And there's a reason we play "leap frog" - frogs take…

Fun facts about our bats Oregon's bats eat only insects. An adult bat eats about 1,000 insects every hour! Bats hang upside down because it gives them an ideal position for take-off. Bats can fly 20 to 30 miles an hour and travel more than 100 miles a night. A baby bat is called a pup. Young bats can fly between two and five weeks of age. Bats are the only flying mammal. Other information Bat Conservation International Build a bat house: Four-Chamber Nursery House Plans (pdf) Two-Chamber Rocket Box Plans (pdf) Small Economy Bat Box Plans (pdf) Living with…