Wolverine

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The wolverine is a rare animal that lives in the remote Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the world, where it preys on small mammals or scavenges on the kill of others. The wolverine’s name suggest that it is a species of wolf, but its appearance indicates that it could be a member of the bear family. In fact, the wolverine is actually the largest member of the weasel family. Its scientific name means ‘glutton’ because of its habit of attacking any prey it happens to meet.

Habits: The wolverine is the fiercest member of the weasel family. Its thick, dense coat of brown fur protects it from the hostile climate. A solitary animal, the wolverine will defend its territory against any other wolverine that dares to encroach on its space. The wolverine warns others of its presence by discharging a strong smelling fluid, called musk, from an anal gland under its tail. The wolverine has a highly developed sense of smell, which makes it a good scavenger. It is also a good climber and often rests in trees. Because its range is so large, the wolverine does not have a single nest site, but several, scattered throughout its range. Mainly nocturnal, during the long polar nights it feeds in daylight.

Food and Hunting: The wolverine, a short legged, slow and lumbering animal, does not chase or stalk its prey. Instead, it hides in trees or behind rocks, waiting to pounce. In summer it eats mice, rats, and other small mammals, as well as birds and their eggs. In winter, when snow covers the ground, it eats larger prey, such as reindeer. The wolverine captures this animal by jumping on its back and gripping it with powerful claws until the prey is forced to the ground. Then it tears the animal apart using long, sharp teeth that can cut through bone. Often, the wolverine lets another animal, such as a bear, do its hunting.

After the animal makes a kill, the wolverine approaches with its hackles (neck and back hairs) raised and its teeth bared. The wolverine growls fiercely at the other predator, which usually departs, leaving its meal to the wolverine. Not only does the wolverine steal from other animals, but it also breaks into campsites to steal supplies. The animal buries and stores anything it cannot eat at one time.

Breeding: The wolverine declares a temporary truce with other wolverines during the summer mating season. Courtship by the male includes dragging the female around by the scruff of her neck. The pair may mate several times, for several hours at a time. To help the male keep an erection, a bone, called the baculum, stiffens his penis. The vigorous mating induces the female to produce eggs.

In many mammals the fertilized eggs implant in the uterus soon after mating, and then start to develop. The female wolverine delays implantation; the egg cells float in the uterus for some time before attaching to the uterus wall. Delayed implantation means that the young can be born at the right time, from January to April, regardless of when mating takes place. The female produces one litter every two or three years. She digs out a den in a snowdrift, in a tree hollow, or under a rock, where she has her young, called kittens. Two or three kittens are born each year. They are born blind and covered with yellowish fur.

The kittens feed only from their mother for two or three weeks. During this time she rarely leaves them, feeding on food she has stored. Later the mother brings food to the den, but the kittens are eight to ten weeks old before they are weaned. Male kittens leave their mother at the start of the next breeding season; but the females often stay longer and mature sexually at two years of age.

Key Facts:
Sizes:
Length: Males, 3 ft. Females, smaller
Weight: Males average 30 lb. Females, 20 lb.

Breeding:
Sexual Maturity: 1-2 years
Mating Season: April to August
Gestation: About 9 months, including period of delayed implantation
No. of Young: Up to 4 kittens

Lifestyle:
Habit: Solitary
Diet: Any mammal. Scavenges food. Also eats some berries
Lifespan: Up to 13 years

Related Species: There are two subspecies: the European and North American wolverines.
Distribution: The Arctic, sub-Arctic and taiga (forests of cone bearing trees) regions of Eurasia and North America.
Conservation: Although it is not yet an endangered species, the wolverine’s numbers are declining, especially near human populations. Hunters shoot it for sport, for its fur, and because it breaks into buildings to steal food.

Special Adaptations of the Wolverine:
Coat: Dense, thick, enabling the wolverine to live in harsh climates.
Head: Long and tapering. Long, sharp teeth and powerful jaws enable it to crush the bones of its prey.
Feet: Large to support weight on soft snow. Five long, sharp claws on each foot.

Did You Know:
The wolverine is said to be strong enough to drag an animal more than three times its own weight.
The wolverine’s fur is prized by Eskimo because it does not absorb moisture, or freeze.
The wolverine is called “the glutton” because people once believed it could eat an entire large mammal.
A male wolverine ranges over 250 to 400 square miles. The female’s range is much smaller, at 20 to 150 square miles.