What Is a Wolverine?
The wolverine is the largest member of the weasel family. It is found in the northern portion of the western U.S. and Canada as well as Alaska, Siberia and northern Europe. The range of the wolverine once extended all the way into the eastern U.S. and Canada as far south as Pennsylvania, but the animal is now a threatened species in the lower 48 states. An estimated 500 wolverines live there, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Description
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The wolverine possesses a thick, squat body with short legs and long fur. The fur is dark brown or black and the animal has a stripe of golden or whitish fur running along both its sides.
Size
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The length of an average wolverine is about 40 inches and males can be 16 inches high at their shoulders. Wolverine males weigh anywhere between 25 and 40 pounds, with the females weighing considerably less--around 15 to 30 pounds.
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Diet
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The wolverine is a skilled scavenger, but is also capable of killing its own prey, with ground squirrels and snowshoe hares a favorite. Able to survive for long periods on little food, the wolverine will find and feed off of the carcasses of dead animals in the winter months.
Habits
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The wolverine can travel as many as 40 miles in a single day looking for a meal. The species has been known to eat animals caught in traps and raid stores of food in cabins, making them a major nuisance to trappers and hunters.
Preservation
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Since wolverines thrive in wilderness areas away from humans, the species is helped by any conservation measure that looks to preserve these regions. In states such as Alaska where the wolverine can be legally trapped, strict limits are put on the number of animals that can be taken each season.
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Resources
- Photo Credit www.cbc.ca
