Wolverine Facts
Wolverines appear fierce and strong. The image explains why sports teams use wolverines for mascots, including University of Michigan and Morris Brown College. A fierce comic book superhero carries the nickname "Wolverine." Unfortunately, the wolverine species possesses less indestructible qualities than the public image indicates.
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Classification
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The wolverine species belong to the Mustelidae, or weasel, family, which includes other species such as badgers, minks, polecats and otters. The wolverine scientific name, "Gulo gulo," means glutton.
Geography
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Wolverines in North America live predominately in Canada and Alaska, with fewer animals in the northern areas of Washington and the northern Idaho, Montana and Wyoming parts of the Rocky Mountain range, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wolverines also live outside North America in northern Eurasia, Scandinavia and Russia, according to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
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Physical Traits
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Male wolverines weigh 26 to 40 pounds, and females typically weigh 17 to 26 pounds. They have bushy tails and curved claws. Wolverines live usually 5 to 7 years in the wild, dying mostly from starvation or killed by other animals or trapping, according to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. In captivity, they live up to 17 years. Wolverines kill other mammals, including wolverines, and birds and find eggs and dead animals for food. They also eat fruit, berries and insects.
Breeding
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Wolverine litters, born typically during February to April, average one or two kits, or babies, but may have up to five, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The females usually deliver their young in dens built in deep snow. Kits weigh less than one pound when born, and weaning occurs after about 10 weeks, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. They leave the mother and live independently when about 6 months old. Males do not help with raising the kits.
Threats
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Wolverines face risks from the loss of habitat and killing by humans. Humans kill wolverines for pelts or because they consider them a danger to crops or livestock. The wide dispersion of the species decreases the chance of extinction, but the European Mammal Assessment lists the species as vulnerable, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resource.
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References
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species: Mountain-Prairie Region: Wolverine
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Wolverine - Wildlife Notebook Series
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Animal Diversity Web: Gulo Gulo - Information
- International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources: Gulo Gulo (Wolverine)
