Tiny to small(ish) predators in greater Portland

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Dec. 1, 2021 2:06 p.m.

Vagrant shrew

Shrews, including the vagrant shrew, are among the most voracious predators on Earth. They must eat every couple of hours to live. Unless you’re an insect or worm, you don’t have much to fear. Vagrant shrews are less than four inches long, counting their tails, and weigh about a quarter ounce.

A tiny shrew looks up at the camera from inside a cardboard box. — Photo courtesy Mark Nikas (iNaturalist CC)

Townsend’s mole

Digging under your feet, Townsend’s moles are hunting and chomping earthworms and other underground bugs. Moles live nearly their entire lives underground, carving tunnels and burrows with their enormous shovel-shaped paws.

A black mole with pink face and paws lies on a mossy log. — Photo courtesy James Maughn (iNaturalist CC)

Long-tailed weasel

Long-tailed weasels rarely weigh more than half a pound, but they regularly hunt rabbits five times their size. Slender, sleek, stealthy and strong, these weasels don’t shy from living in neighborhoods, as long as there are enough rodents and rabbits to eat.

A brown weasel with a cream belly stands on concrete under a bush, it looks like it is ready to pounce. — Photo courtesy Curtis Mahon (iNaturalist CC)

River otter

A distant, aquatic cousin of the weasel, river otters live in wetlands and streams in the middle of our cities. The best chance to see these whippet-sized hunters is along a stream bank, where they bring fish to chow on for dinner.