Report Wolverine Sighting
Have you seen a Wolverine?
Wolverines are solitary scavengers that live in boreal forests and tundra. With a reputation for being larger than life, they’re famous for their boldness, toughness and formidable attitude. Wolverines are members of Mustelidae, the weasel family. Though they may be weasels, they resemble a small bear with their stocky build and rounded ears. Their fur is dark brown to black, and the sides have a characteristic yellowish brown to whitish stripe.
Make a Positive Identification
Species Comparison
Colorado is a wonderful place full of many species that can sometimes be tricky to tell apart. Take a moment to review the information below to help confirm if you've spotted a wolverine, and then feel free to share your sighting information!
Wolverine
Physical Characteristics
-
Bear or dog-like head
-
Dark brown coat, with lighter strip across forehead; another light strip runs from shoulders to rump and base of tail
-
Fluffy brown tail about ¼ of body length
-
Longer legs; torso raised off of ground while standing on all fours
-
Lighter markings can also be present around face, throat and chest
Marmot
Physical Characteristics
-
Squirrel-like head
-
Brownish-gray back with yellow to orange underbelly, throat and sides of neck
-
Slim tail usually darker than body, about ¼ to ⅓ of body length
-
Rounder body shape; torso often near or touching the ground when standing on all fours
-
Sometimes have a white patch on forehead and/or around mouth
Why Report Your Sighting?
If you observe wildlife, this information could be incredibly valuable to CPW. Wildlife observations by members of the public, and private landowners in particular, can help inform wildlife management in Colorado. You may be concerned that reporting wildlife activity will compromise your privacy, or may make species location information widely available, but there are laws in place to protect your privacy and to protect species location information from public disclosure if you choose to share this information with CPW. While the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) makes many government records public, there are exceptions to CORA that protect your personal information, information about private property, and animal location data.