Wolverine photographed in Glacier National Park.
Wolverine photographed in Glacier National Park. Credit: NPS

Wolverines are one of the most mysterious and elusive wildlife species. Their shy nature and preference for remote terrain make them difficult for scientists to track and study.

Because wolverine sightings are so rare, population estimates in the lower 48 range hover around 300. Even when a handful of wolverine sightings are reported in the same area, it can be difficult to deduce whether it was the same wolverine or multiple individuals. 

Wolverines prefer a very specific habitat, preferring remote, high altitude terrain with alpine vegetation. In the winter, wolverines seek areas with deep snowpacks to birth and protect their young. 

While wolverine populations are considered stable in the Alaskan region, the population in the lower 48 is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Wolverines in the contiguous US usually reside in the Rocky and Cascade mountains of Wyoming, Washington, Montana, Idaho and Oregon. 

Climate change has put considerable pressure on the population, as snowpack is melting earlier each year, exposing their young to danger. The USFWS estimates wolverines could lose 23 percent of their habitat within the next 30 years because of climate change—and 63 percent over the next 75 years.

Changes in land use—such as roads, resource extraction, and winter recreation—also contribute to population stress. 

How to tell if you’ve seen a wolverine

Wolverines are the largest members of the weasel family, and similar to the weasel they are very shy and scarcely sighted. 

Wolverines can weigh between 17 and 40 pounds, stand up to 1.5 feet tall, and are generally 33 to 44 inches long (including tail).

Sometimes badgers or even bear cubs can be mistaken for wolverines. 

Characteristics

Wolverines have long, dense fur that is generally dark brown to black with a creamy white to gold stripe running from each shoulder along the flanks to the base of the tail. They commonly have a patch of white hair on the neck and chest. 

They have stocky, muscular bodies with short legs, a broad and rounded head, and small eyes with short, rounded ears. 

Wolverines also have a discernible light-colored “mask” across their foreheads and around the eyes. 

Where they are in the parks

Keeping track of wolverine populations in the parks is a difficult task, as the shy animals are very rarely seen. But if you go into snowy areas or in the winter, you might just be lucky enough to spot one in Yellowstone, Glacier, North Cascades, and Mount Rainier national parks.

The dark green areas on this map indicate where wolverines have recently been found. Lighter green areas show habitat they could possibly reinhabit though many projections are offset by diminishing snowpack levels, important to a wolverine’s life history. Map courtesy FWS

One sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park over a decade ago spurred conservationists to begin lobbying for a wolverine recovery program in the park. The bill for the program was approved this past summer in the Colorado legislature. 

You might also see a wolverine in any of the Alaska national parks

If wolverine populations continue to rise and recover, you might have better odds to see these elusive animals!

Heather Bergeson is a writer and editor based in Utah. Heather has written about travel, sports, business and the outdoors for Stowaway magazine, Utah Business magazine and Moab Sun News. She has a bachelor's...