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Build bird houses for ODFW. Teach families to fish. Walk a stream or hike in a forest looking for animals or sign of animals to support various studies. Teach others to hunt and fish. Assist Marine Reserves with onshore or offshore studies. These are just some of the tasks ODFW volunteers can do to help protect and enhance Oregon's natural resources. Current volunteer opportunities
SALEM, Ore. – A Chinese mitten crab, a prohibited species in Oregon, was found in the Willamette River near the Sellwood Bridge and reported to ODFW on Nov. 17. The crab was spotted in shallow water and captured by hand. It was alive and not released back into the river…
Features: Greater sage-grouse are a large grouse species. They are mottled gray-brown with black undersides. Males have black on the head and throat, while females have white behind their eyes. Habitat: Sage-grouse were originally found through much of the sagebrush dominated areas of eastern Oregon, but were eliminated from large areas by the mid 1900s through conversion of land for agricultural purposes. There has been little change in sage-grouse range, however since the 1950s. They live exclusively in sagebrush steppe habitat. During dry years, they may be concentrated in the vicinity of water sources. Technique: Due to greater sage-grouse fluctuating…
These large-bodied salamanders have solid brown skin that is smooth and moist. Adults can grow to almost 10 inches in total length. Northwestern salamanders live in moist forests or partly wooded areas. Though common in Oregon, adult salamanders are rarely seen because they live underground. Terrestrial adults require moist crevices in logs or rodent burrows in the ground for shelter from weather and predators.
The Great Basin spadefoot is a species of toad. Adult spadefoots are gray with light lines along the back and light colored bellies. Their skin has abundant dark colored small bumpy spots. They have a single, black, hard spade on the heel of each hind foot. Adult females are larger than males, growing to two-and-a-half inches in length. Great Basin spadefoots live in dry sagebrush, grasslands and woodlands with sandy soils near ponds. Though they live in semi-arid habitats, they love the rain and damp weather. They spend most of the year in underground burrows that they dig quite efficiently…
Adult Cascades frogs have tan, copper or green backs with black spots and yellow bellies. Their skin has small bumps on the back and sides. Females, which grow to three inches in length, are slightly larger than males. Cascades frogs live in a variety of moist habitats including mountain meadows, bogs, seasonally flooded forested swamps and shallow ponds, marshes and lakes. They use woody debris, mud or dense vegetation for cover from predators and spend their winters hibernating in mud. They emerge during the summer and live in wet meadows and bogs or along forested streams and pond edges. The…
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Sept. 30 will be the last day to fish on Spencer Creek this year, as this tributary of the Klamath River will be closed as of Oct. 1 to protect spawning fall Chinook salmon. Spencer Creek has traditionally been closed to fishing from Nov. 1 to…
Adult Klamath black salamanders that live in Oregon are fully black with a smattering of bronze or green specks across the top of their heads, backs, tails and legs. The black salamander is one of the lungless salamander species and it breathes through its skin. Female black salamanders are generally larger than males and grow up to five-and-a-half inches in total length. Black salamanders live in forest, open woodland, moist talus (rock fragment piles) and streamside habitats. They use crevices in moist decaying logs or stumps, wet talus slopes or just under surface debris for cover during warm wet weather…
These large salamanders are marbled brown and tan in color when in their rare terrestrial (land-living) adult form. They are brown with yellowish-tan patches on These large salamanders have an aquatic adult stage that is brown with yellowish-tan patches and short gills. The rare terrestrial adult is marbled brown and tan. Larvae of Cope’s giant salamander are smaller with a more narrow head and shorter legs than the coastal giant salamander. Both terrestrial and aquatic adults can grow up to eight inches in total length. Most adult salamanders live in cold, fast-flowing, clear and permanent streams in coniferous forests. Adult…
Oregon requires all hunters under the age of 18 to complete a hunter safety education course before hunting in the state. Upon course completion, students will receive a temporary Hunter Safety certification card to be carried while hunting in Oregon until a permanent card is received in the mail to replace it. Hunters over 18 are encouraged to take the online education course, as it may be required for out of state hunts. Note: Youth under the age of 9 may struggle with the course material and may not have the physical strength needed to safely handle a firearm during…
The Western tanager is Oregon's only species of tanager. It lives in wooded habitat throughout the state.
These diving birds are built for living on the water, floating low on the surface with legs farther to the rear to help propel them underwater. Loons have webbed feet, grebes have lobed toes.