Animal identifier ยท Other mammals
Gulo gulo
Remote mountains and boreal forest in Canada, Alaska, and the northern Rockies. A track in the East or the South is not a wolverine. Large five-toed tracks, 4 to 6 inches, with long claw marks.
What does a wolverine look like?
Stocky, dark, with a pale side stripe. Looks like a small bear with a long tail only at a glance.
What do wolverine tracks look like?
A big mustelid print with long claws. The stride is long. Do not force this identification outside the known range.
- Large five-toed tracks, 4 to 6 inches, with long claw marks
- Very wide gait for the animal’s body
- Loping pattern, sometimes a three-print pattern
- Pale stripe along the side if seen
- Scat and scent marks on trails in high country
What does wolverine poop look like?
Dark, often with hair and bone, left on a trail or carcass. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine.
Where you find it
Remote mountains and boreal forest in Canada, Alaska, and the northern Rockies. A track in the East or the South is not a wolverine. Typical places: woods, field. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
What to do next
- Watch from a distance
- Do not handle droppings
- If the animal is injured or inside a building, call a local wildlife officer
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Fisher identification
- American black bear identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
Large five-toed prints with long claws and a long lope. Only in the North and the high Rockies.
How to tell a wolverine from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Fisher. Paired prints in a loping pattern. Long dark body, short legs, bushy tail.
- American black bear. Five toes. Black or brown, rounded ears, no shoulder hump, straight nose.
Wolverine field marks
- Large five-toed tracks, 4 to 6 inches, with long claw marks
- Very wide gait for the animal’s body
- Loping pattern, sometimes a three-print pattern
- Pale stripe along the side if seen
Where the sign shows up
Remote mountains and boreal forest in Canada, Alaska, and the northern Rockies. A track in the East or the South is not a wolverine. Typical places: woods, field. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
A big mustelid print with long claws. The stride is long. Do not force this identification outside the known range. Dark, often with hair and bone, left on a trail or carcass.
Common questions
What do wolverine tracks look like?
Large five-toed prints with long claws and a long lope. Only in the North and the high Rockies.