Wolverine

## Description

The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The wolverine has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times larger than itself.

## Appearance

Wolverines have the characteristics of a dog a bear and, a skunk. They have long snouts, short legs, and long hair. Though the legs of these animals are short, their large, five-toed paws with crampon-like claws and plantigrade posture enable them to climb up and over steep cliffs, trees, and snow-covered peaks with relative ease. Wolverines have thick, dark, oily, highly hydrophobic fur, making it resistant to frost. A light-silvery facial mask is distinct in some individuals, and a pale buff stripe runs laterally from the shoulders along the side and crosses the rump just above a 25-35 cm (10-14 in) bushy tail. Some individuals display prominent white hair patches on their throats or chests. Wolverines, like other mustelids, possess a special upper molar in the back of the mouth that is rotated 90 degrees, towards the inside of the mouth. This special characteristic allows wolverines to tear off meat from prey or carrion that has been frozen solid.

## Distribution

Wolverines prefer colder areas and inhabit the Arctic and subarctic, Alpine forests, grasslands, taiga, tundra, and boreal forests of Europe, and Asia, and in the north of North America. They live in mountainous areas and dense forests, venturing into more open areas in the search for food.

## Behavior

Wolverines are well-adapted to winter and do not hibernate. They are mostly solitary, except when mating. Like the skunk, wolverines have a strong-smelling secretion called musk, used to warn others to keep out of their territory. They also spray the places they hide their food to discourage others from raiding them. Sometimes active during the day, they are nocturnal animals. Where there are prolonged times of darkness or light, wolverines may have three to four hours of activity and then three to four hours of sleep. They can quickly climb trees and are excellent swimmers.

## Diet

Wolverines are scavengers and carnivores. Apart from carrion they often eat large game like moose, caribou, and mountain goats; also smaller animals like rodents and ground squirrels, and sometimes birds' eggs and berries. During times of plenty, wolverines frequently cache their food.

## Reproduction

Wolverines are polygynous. They don't form pair bonds and mate from May to August. Females then build dens where they will have their young, often caves dug into the snow, sometimes as much as 15 feet deep. Gestation is nearly 2 months and 2 or 3 kits is the usual litter size. Females manage most of the rearing, though males from time to time visit to care for the young. Weaning occurs at 3 months and young start to forage themselves at 5 to 7 months. Wolverines become reproductively mature around the age of 2.

## Population

### Threats

The biggest threat facing wolverines is climate change. Less snow is produced in warmer weather, and, wolverines are dependent on it for food and reproduction. They can be hunted for their fur, prized due to their frost-resistant properties. Their natural predators include wolves, mountain lions, brown bears, black bears, and golden eagles.

### Number

According to Wikipedia, the world's total wolverine population is not known. According to IUCN, the European population was recently estimated at approximately 2,260 individuals: 1,400 in European Russia, 150 in Finland, 326 (±45) individuals in Sweden, and 269 (±32) individuals in Norway. Canada's' wolverine population is estimated at 15,000-19,000 individuals. The ICUN classifies the wolverine as "Least Concern", with a decreasing population trend.

### Ecological niche

Wolverines are scavengers, eating the kill of bears and wolves and thus help to keep the ecosystem healthy. They have only a few natural predators. They prey on large and small animals. They rely on other large predators to provide food when the snow conditions prevent them from hunting large prey themselves. Wolverine urine discourages the presence and feeding of Snowshoe hares and Black-tailed deer.

## Fun Facts

Wolverines eat bones with their very strong teeth and jaws.

As a wolverine walks, its paw spreads out to almost twice its size, making it easier to walk on snow, like built-in snowshoes.

"Gulo gulo," the scientific name for the wolverine, comes from the Latin "gulo," which means "glutton."

Wolverines have a special kind of upper molar, which is rotated 90 degrees and allows it to tear apart flesh quickly.