# Critter ID (sorry, no pics) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 15, 2023, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716 "2023-04-15T17:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2023, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/1 "2023-04-15T17:09:58Z")
We were nearing the pass in the WA Cascades (around 5500’) at about 5am in September some years ago when we had to stop for a creature lying on the warm pavement. It was, of course, as startled by us as we were by it, and it ambled off the road to let us pass by. For years, I have assumed it was some sort of wolverine. It had curly brown fur (perhaps that is normal for late fall), and it seemed somewhat long-legged for a wolverine. Way too small for a bear cub (which would have been out of season). Its coloring seemed fairly consistent brown-ish all over. Anyone have any idea what we encountered? Baby sasquatch (they do get this far north)? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2023, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/2 "2023-04-15T18:33:56Z")
Sure sounds like a wolverine, yeah. We ran into one in the New Mexico mountains in the 70s. Or that’s what we decided that it was. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/3 "2023-04-15T22:15:54Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > pass in the WA Cascades (around 5500’) at about 5am in September some years ago Fewer than twenty presumably. Wolverines only started re-establishing themselves firmly in the Cascades in early 2000’s, though they had started filtering in in the 1990’s. Even now there are probably fewer than 25 in the entire range. Much more recently (starting ~2015) there have been deliberate [fisher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_(animal)) reintroductions into the Cascades as well. I wouldn’t describe either as curly-coated, though I suppose at a distance shaggy might come off as curly. A wolverine is maybe ~20-50 lbs, a fisher 5-20, a black bear cub 5-80 (emergence to 1 year old), so there is overlap. But a black bear cub hanging by itself in the middle of a road seems unlikely, even though they are far more common than the other two. More common than any of these are the marmots. There are [hoary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoary_marmot) and yellow-bellied marmots in the Cascades (and Olympic marmots on the Olympic peninsula) and these can seem deceptively large because they are very bushy and autumn is the peak marmot fatness range. As per the above-linked wiki the grand champion hoary marmot hit 30 lbs in autumn, but 15-20 lbs would be common. AND marmots love to [bask on sunny rocks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoary_marmot#/media/File:Hoary_Marmot_in_Glacier_National_Park.jpg) - it is by far their favorite pastime after eating. Just on habit and commonality, I’m going to guess this is the most likely culprit. But a wolverine is certainly possible and that would be the sighting of a lifetime 🙂. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2023, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/4 "2023-04-15T23:54:54Z")
My guess is always chupacabra. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/5 "2023-04-16T00:00:09Z")
There have been a least 4 wolverine sightings in Oregon lately. [Fourth wolverine sighting reported in Oregon | kgw.com](https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/fourth-wolverine-sighting-oregon/283-770c5b16-7977-4e58-af26-2ee56aef10a8) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/6 "2023-04-16T00:53:20Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > More common than any of these are the marmots. Unless marmots get as large as a golden retriever, I doubt it. This was much larger than any, say, raccoon I have ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/7 "2023-04-16T01:05:37Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Unless marmots get as large as a golden retriever, I doubt it. Fair enough, though golden retrievers are a little bigger than wolverines 🙂. As you can see from [Jaspar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBmYt3QGNC8) here, they’re not all that big relative to a person - just massively broad and sturdy relative to size. Marmots are [quite a bit smaller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcYeJCGfVO0) of course. I’d say if it was that big a young bear might be a better guess just by the numbers game. But again, wolverine IS a possibility and there aren’t a lot of others. That large and barring a random shaggy dog, bear or wolverine is going to be the best guess up there. One of the felids (bobcat, lynx, mountain lion) would probably have been too distinct even on a quick glance. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/8 "2023-04-16T01:07:20Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > My guess is always chupacabra. It’s never Lupus. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/9 "2023-04-16T01:26:03Z")
Yeah, I’m going with baby Bigfoot ☺ ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/10 "2023-04-16T01:37:28Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I’d say if it was that big a young bear might be a better guess just by the numbers game. Except, as I said, one does not see bear cubs in September. And, for the kind of bears found in the Cascades, this critter seemed particularly lanky. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Yeah, I’m going with baby Bigfoot ☺ Yeah, but I do not think it had big feet (such as would grow into adult bigfoot feet). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/11 "2023-04-16T22:04:52Z")
Badger? Badger? We don’t need no steenkin’ Badgers! ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/12 "2023-04-16T22:23:54Z")
Wolverines are appreciably smaller (especially in height) than golden retrievers, they don’t have curly fur, and they are not lanky. So I don’t think it was a wolverine. Badgers are much smaller than even wolverines. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/13 "2023-04-17T00:15:39Z")
Hmmm…wolves are still fairly rare in the Cascades, but they almost certainly outnumber wolverines (not by much, but by some). Outside possibility, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/14 "2023-04-17T16:35:17Z")
Besides–they don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/15 "2023-04-17T17:13:16Z")
I doubt there are any honey badgers in the Cascades. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/16 "2023-04-26T03:56:08Z")
Wolverines are pretty uncommon in that area, but there are two other mustelids (weasel family) that you might have spotted: a pine marten or a fisher. Both are smaller than wolverines, though. Someone suggested marmots. Although they might fit the size (they are the 3rd largest rodent in North America), they definitely couldn’t be called “long-legged.” Could it have been a coyote? They are often out and about near dawn, and they’re less skittish around humans than something like a wolverine. I’ve definitely seen them “amble away” casually where something like a wolverine would have either run or gotten aggressive. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/17 "2023-04-26T10:42:17Z")
Clearly it was a Tasmanian Devil. The fact that you can tell us about this means it was in an unusually friendly mood. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/18 "2023-04-26T18:06:52Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Clearly it was a Tasmanian Devil. It was only ambling because there were no wabbits in the area. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/19 "2023-04-26T20:45:17Z")
> [@Gary\_Robson](#): > > Could it have been a coyote? They are often out and about near dawn, and they’re less skittish around humans than something like a wolverine. I’ve definitely seen them “amble away” casually where something like a wolverine would have either run or gotten aggressive. That’s my guess. It sounds like coyote behavior, and the description fits. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716/20 "2023-04-26T20:56:20Z")
It would, but I have kind of an idea what a coyote looks like (though I cannot say for sure that I have ever seen one), and I think the legs (fairly thick) and face (not very dog-like) correspond to what I would expect for a coyote. It was also a pretty dark in color. (And the hour was not “near dawn”, it was like 3am in early September.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critter-id-sorry-no-pics/982716.md?page=2)