Family: Mustelidae, Weasels view all from this family
Description Bulky, somewhat bear-like. Dark brown, with broad yellowish bands from shoulders to over hips, meeting at base of tail. Light patches in front of ears. Male larger than female. L 31–44” (800–1,125 mm); T 6 3/4–10 1/4” (171–260 mm); HF 6 1/2–8” (165–205 mm); Wt 18–42 lb (8.2–19.1 kg).
Warning The Wolverine shies from human contact but is a fierce and fearless carnivore best left alone.
Similar Species American Badger is smaller and more grizzled, with white cheeks and white stripe on forehead.
Breeding Mates April–September; implantation delayed until December–March. In two recorded cases, total gestation was 215 and 271 days, with active gestation only 30–40 days. Litter of 2–5 young born early spring in protected area, such as thicket or rock crevice.
Habitat Forest and tundra.
Range Northern Canada south to nw Washington; populations remain in Alaska and w Canada; increasingly rare in e Canada; spotty distribution in w U.S., but increasing in California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
Discussion Primarily nocturnal but active at any time, the Wolverine is nonmigratory and does not hibernate. Alternating periods of activity and rest every three or four hours, a male traverses a vast home range of more than 1,000 square miles (2,600 sq km), sharing it with two or three females. A Wolverine can cover great distances at a slow lope, swims capably, and climbs quickly, often pouncing on prey from a tree. Its eyesight is poor, but its senses of smell and hearing are excellent. Very powerful for its size, the ferocious Wolverine is capable of driving even a bear or Mountain Lion from its kill. It eats anything it can find, including Moose or Elk slowed down in heavy snow, beavers, deer, Porcupines, birds, and squirrels, as well as eggs, roots, and berries; it also consumes much carrion, trailing Caribou herds and eating the remains of wolf kills. The Wolverine also follows trap lines, eating bait, trapped animals, and cached food. It has been known to raid cabins, marking everything it cannot eat with musk, urine, or droppings. The Wolverine was once popularly called the “Glutton” (the species name gulo means “glutton”), but its truly voracious appetite is probably an adaptation for survival where food is often scarce. Careless about concealing its own food caches, the Wolverine marks them with a foul-smelling musk that repels other carnivores. Its den, which may contain leaves or grass, is under an uprooted tree or in a crevice, thicket, or other protected place. An extended mating season increases the probability that these solitary and sparsely distributed animals will find a mate. Young remain with the mother for two years. Wolverine fur is used to line or trim parka hoods, as the oils in it make it frost-resistant.
