Rocky Mountain mammal size comparisons

In the NPS photo of a Yellowstone wildlife montage by Robert Hynes, and a drawing (not to the same scale) of a moose (in the front of the row), elk and deer, you can see the difference in size of various mammals we may see on the Outdoor Club trips to Grand Teton national park.

The elk (5 foot tall) compares in size to a horse.

Moose are 6.5 to 7.5 feet tall, with antlers that spread 4 to 5 feet (record 6'9").

NPS photo of moose in comparison to a SUV:

Both male and female bison have a small beard, but only the male has a bushy forehead.

Yellowstone park says:

Q: How do you tell male from female bison? A: A bull’s head is wider and shaped more like a triangle than the female bison; its 'forehead' fur is much thicker, as is the fur on its forelegs; and its beard is thicker. A cow’s horns are slightly more curved and slender than a bull’s. In addition, a cow’s shoulders are narrower than its hips while a male’s shoulders are broader than its hips.

A marmot and a pika on a trail:

It is so rare to see a bobcat, lynx or mountain lion, but here are their faces for comparison:

Mountain goats black horns are much smaller than bighorn sheep:

A golden-mantled ground squirrel has stripes that stop before it's neck, a chipmunk is a little smaller and has stripes across it's back and up it's head.

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The coyote (25 inches tall, large ones up to 55 pounds) compares in size to a large family dog. We've read that Rocky Mountain coyotes are bigger than the ones we frequently see in Yosemite on our winter trips.

A wolf, up to 35" tall, is much bigger than a coyote or family dog, but it can be hard to tell at a distance, which is where you will most likely see one if at all. Wolves can weight 70-120 pounds, coyotes only 25-40.

Wolves can be coal black, creamy white and everything (gray, tan) in between. Coyotes are gray, tawny, buffy or reddish gray.

Below a NPS drawing showing the size comparison of a wolf, coyote and a fox, from the handbook at: http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/yellowstone-resources-and-issues-handbook.htm

The coyote often holds his tail between his legs when running. His nose is more pointed.

The coyotes have a narrow, triangular shaped head. A wolf has a more square, blocky head.

Wolves and coyotes both sing long howls, but the wolf does not add yips/yaps.

To print a wolf coyote comparison go to:

http://www.nps.gov/grte/parkmgmt/guideres.htm

and click on wolf versus coyote comparison

Coyote front prints are usually 2 3/4 inches in lenght or less, some large dog breeds can have prints as big as a wolf, wolves are usually 3 1/2 inches in length not including the claws.

The International Wolf Center tells us that "The biting capacity of a wolf is 1,000 to 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch... In comparison, a German Shepard has a biting pressure of 750 pounds per square inch. A human has a much lower biting pressure of 300 pounds per square inch."

first photo below of mollie's wolfpack in Yellowstone: (in social situations like the first photo, the height the tail is carried generally relates to the social status of that wolf).

two photos of one coyote in Yellowstone:

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From a distance it can be hard to tell which small animal you see swimming. But each swims differently. River otters undulate through the water. One source says when a beaver swims, only his head shows above the water; muskrats show both their head and part of their back. Another source says that muskrats usually swim with their thin tails "snaking in the water behind them or arched out of the water; you never see a beaver's tail as it swims." Adult muskrats are the size of a football, their body about a foot long, beavers four times as big. Otters are 3 to 4 feet long, minks half that size.

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The main differences between a grizzly and a black bear are:

Two photos below black bears and six of grizzlies are courtesy of NPS:

grizzlies have a dished, or concave face; black bears have a straight facial profile

grizzlies have a large hump of muscle for digging and running above the shoulders

grizzly claws are visible from a distance, black bears claws are not

grizzlies are bigger (males 300-700 pounds, black bears 210-315 pounds)

coloration in both is so variable, that it isn't a good way to tell them apart. Black bears are not just black in color, they can be light, medium or dark brown, cinnamon/reddish or blond. Grizzlies can be any of the above, sometimes with silver-tipped guard hairs that give them their grizzled gray/silver appearance.

If you have reason to report a bear sighting, try to notice the color as described above, including any colors of patches on the chest or of girth bands. Be ready to describe the size. A two year old is about 1/2 to 3/4 the size of a female, a yearling about 1/4 to 1/2 the size of a female and the cub of the year is about 1/4 the size of a female. Was there an ear tag, radio collar or paint to identify the bear?

black bears are more likely to stalk a human than grizzlies, although this is quite rare

both can climb trees

both hibernate, but sometimes awake during winter and leave their dens (occasionally some in Yosemite never do hibernate)

both have occasionally become too used to humans and/or human food and have had to be destroyed.

See also: animal sign comparisons (how to use tracks and scat to distinguish species) grizzly:

Please do not handle scat. Wolf scat, for example, can transmit tapeworm eggs to humans.

Grand Tetons trip pages index

your safety in grizzly bear territory tells you what to do if you see a bear in the distance or a bear charges you and has info about Bear Pepper Sprays and what might happen before a bison charges.

NPS chart of where grizzly bears live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (the blue outline) in 2008:

Grand Tetons biking has details about rare fatal encounters between bike riders and grizzleys.

This NPS historic photo collection shows people much too close to an elk:

For more actual incidents of injuries from animals, usually caused by approaching them too closely, go to: fatal, near fatal or close call incidents/accidents in camping, backpacking, climbing and mountaineering

Look for the BEARS, MOUNTAIN LION, BISON, ELK and MOOSE sections.

The difference between a tundra swam and a trumpeter swan is that the tundra swan has a yellow spot near the eye and the trumpeter swan has a thin pink stripe at the base of their upper mandible. The other huge white birds are pelicans if they have a huge yellow beak and throat pouch.

Park rules say do not approach wildlife, stay 100 yards from bears or wolves and 25 yards from other wildlife including nesting birds. If you have an accidental, surprise or inadvertant closer encounter with wildlife you must remove yourself to those distances.

To visualize 100 yards, picture the length of a football feild.

To visualize 25 yards, picture four car lengths, six kayak lengths or the width of an Olympic-sized pool like ours at the college.