The wolverine looks a bit like a small bear, however it is actually a part of the weasel family. It is said to be the strongest mammal in relation to its size. Wolverine habitats are conifer forests in North America, and they can also be found in Canada, Scandinavia, Europe and Siberia.
Wolverine Facts
Wolverines have large heads and heavyset bodies covered in dense fur. The dense wolverine fur is made up of hairs of different lengths to prevent ice and snow from getting too close to the skin. Their wide feet act as snowshoes allowing them to walk over snow quite easily. They have powerful limbs and while they are terrestrial, they are capable of climbing trees and are also very strong swimmers. Current taxonomy of the wolverine is:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Mustelidae
- Genus: Gulo
- Species: G. gulo
Wolverine Behaviour
While generally nocturnal, wolverines will forage during the day if need be. They are also capable of altering their sleeping pattern to accommodate for areas of extended daylight or darkness, sleeping for 4 hours, then being awake for 4 hours. The wolverine has bad eyesight but a very good sense of smell.
Their diet is mainly carnivorous with carrion making up a large part of their diet, but they also eat eggs, summer fruit and berries, small animals (birds, rodents), and often prey larger than themselves such as sheep, deer and even weakened caribou. They also occasionally dig into burrows and devour hibernating mammals.
Though usually a solitary animal that has been known to travel up to 24km (15miles) in a single day to find food, they do share a den with several females, and family members will play together. Males will scent mark their territory and sometimes scent mark their food. Wolverines mate at the beginning of summer and young are born in underground dens the following spring. Litters of 2-4 are born every two years.
The young, known as kits, will sometimes stay with their mother until they reach maturity. Kits reach maturity at 2-3 years of age and grow to 65-105cm (25-41in) and weigh between 10-32kg (22-70lb). Average lifespan for a wolverine is 7-12 years.
Are Wolverines Endangered?
Early pioneers hated the wolverine for its savage nature, spreading stories of how they hunted humans, but in fact, humans would trap the animals and use the wolverine fur to line parkas (a type of jacket).
Wolverine numbers have declined, but they are listed as ‘least concern’ (2009) because they have a relatively wide distribution and some larger populations. It is not only human persecution that puts this mammal at risk but also loss of habitat. Though there is evidence of a resurgence in some populations, more research is needed in certain regions, particularly North Asia, which may mean the wolverine’s status will be re-assessed as vulnerable in the not too distant future.
Resources: National Geographic & The IUCN Red List
Roberta Goli - Roberta has a Bachelor of Science Degree (Zoology), has worked with animals for over 10 years and enjoys writing short stories and flash ...
