In French-speaking parts of Canada, the wolverine is referred to as carcajou, borrowed from the Innu-aimun or Montagnais kuàkuàtsheu. Solitary during most of the year, the wolverine has a short courtship in February or March. Ursus luscus Linnaeus, 1758. Wolverines weigh only 20-40 pounds, and probably don’t spend a lot of time wrestling other carnivores. 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T9561A45198537.en, "Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation", "Action Plan for the conservation of Wolverines (, "Gulo gulo – The American Society of Mammalogists", "Phylogeography and post-glacial recolonization in wolverines (Gulo gulo) from across their circumpolar distribution", Wolverine: Chasing the Phantom. They have a tail that is10 inches long. Though its legs are short, its large, five-toed paws with crampon-like claws and plantigrade posture enable it to climb up and over steep cliffs, trees and snow-covered peaks with relative ease.[5]. [22] Radio tracking suggests an animal can range hundreds of miles in a few months. A sighting in February 2004 near Ubly was the first confirmed sighting in Michigan in 200 years. [57][58], The Wildlife Conservation Society reported in June 2009 that a wolverine researchers had been tracking for almost three months had crossed into northern Colorado. Despite its small size, the wolverine is an animal that has earned a ferocious reputation as a top predator in the wild. That’s around the size of a large pit bull, but with bags more attitude! While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [31], Wolverines frequently cache their food during times of plenty. According to some sources, Eurasian wolverines are claimed to be larger and heavier than North American with average weights in excess of 20 kg (44 lb) but this may refer more specifically to areas such as Siberia, as data from European wolverines shows they are typically around the same size as their American counterparts. The wolverine is a powerful and versatile animal. Its fur is valued as trimming for parkas because frost and frozen breath can easily be brushed off the smooth hairs. The males are as much as 30 percent larger than the females. [45], This requirement for large territories brings wolverines into conflict with human development, and hunting and trapping further reduce their numbers, causing them to disappear from large parts of their former range; attempts to have them declared an endangered species have met with little success. Kits develop rapidly, reaching adult size within the first year. [4], Anatomically, the wolverine is a stocky and muscular animal. Similarly, the Hungarian name is rozsomák or torkosborz which means "gluttonous badger". [17][18] The average weight of male and female wolverines from Norway was listed as 14.6 kg (32 lb 3 oz) and 10 kg (22 lb). The short legs help wolverine to get deep snow. Its population has steadily declined since the 19th century owing to trapping, range reduction and habitat fragmentation. Its prey mainly consists of small to medium-sized mammals, but the wolverine has been recorded killing prey such as adult deer that are many times larger than itself. A wolverine released by the scientists confronts a blizzard. The wolverine is a solitary, nocturnal hunter, preying on all manner of game and not hesitating to attack sheep, deer, or small bears. When the animal saw us it ran a few feet farther along the wall and jumped off into the orchard and disappeared. The adult wolverine is about the size of a medium dog, with a length usually ranging from 65–107 centimeters (26–42 inches), a tail of 17–26 centimeters (6.7–10.2 inches), and a weight of 9–25 kilograms (20–55 pounds). Whether eating live prey or carrion, the wolverine's feeding style appears voracious, leading to the nickname of "glutton" (also the basis of the scientific name). The wolverine is much larger; up to 107 cm in length, up to 45cm at the shoulder, and weighs up to 25 kilograms. [30] In February 2013, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service proposed giving Endangered Species Act protections to the wolverine due to its winter habitat in the northern Rockies diminishing. The wolverine is noted for its strength, cunning, fearlessness, and voracity. Fish and Wildlife Service suggested listing the wolverine as an threatened species. Omissions? The wolverine is an aggressive carnivore that punches well above its weight. Climate change is in impending threat to these mustelids. August 13, 2014: The Service withdrew a proposal to list the North American wolverine in the contiguous United States as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This was as a result of a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife. It resembles a small, squat, broad bear 65–90 cm (26–36 inches) long, excluding the bushy, 13–26-cm (5–10-inch) tail; shoulder height is 36–45 cm (14–18 inches), and weight is 9–30 kg (20–66 pounds). By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. [30] The wolverine is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern because of its "wide distribution, remaining large populations, and the unlikelihood that it is in decline at a rate fast enough to trigger even Near Threatened".[56]. Their prey includes small to medium size animals, but they have also been recorded as killing adult deer. [34] By far, their most serious predator is the grey wolf, with an extensive record of wolverine fatalities attributed to wolves in both North America and Eurasia. Wolverines don’t have a very long lifespan. The less common name for the animal in Norwegian, fjellfross, meaning "mountain cat", is thought to have worked its way into German as Vielfraß,[71] which means "glutton" (literally "devours much"). The wolverine is now essentially absent from the southern end of its European range. Adult males weigh about 12 to 18 kg, adult females about 8 to 12 kg. Some individuals display prominent white hair patches on their throats or chests. They may defend against larger or more numerous predators such as wolves or bears. The wolverine is found primarily in remote reaches of the Northern boreal forests and subarctic and alpine tundra of the Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest numbers in Northern Canada, the U.S. state of Alaska, the mainland Nordic countries of Europe, and throughout western Russia and Siberia. The wolverine's questionable reputation as an insatiable glutton (reflected in the Latin genus name Gulo) may be in part due to a false etymology. The Eastern Slavic росомаха (rosomakha) and the Polish and Czech name rosomák seem to be borrowed from the Finnish rasva-maha (fat belly). The animal has anal glands that secrete an unpleasant-smelling fluid. Wolverines target animals that are relatively easy to hunt. The animal exhibits a low population density and requires a very large home range. [39] At least one account reported a wolverine's apparent attempt to steal a kill from a black bear, although the bear won what was ultimately a fatal contest for the wolverine. Male wolverines have a home range of about 920 square miles, while the territories for female wolverines is about 390 square miles. [73] The animal was found dead in 2010.[74]. [46] Fathers make visits to their offspring until they are weaned at 10 weeks of age; also, once the young are about six months old, some reconnect with their fathers and travel together for a time. It resembles a small, squat, broad bear 65–90 cm (26–36 inches) long, excluding the bushy, 13–26-cm (5–10-inch) tail; shoulder height is 36–45 cm (14–18 inches), and weight is 9–30 kg (20–66 pounds). [10][11] The males are as much as 30% larger than the females and can be twice the females' weight. Wolverines that live in the north of their range are usually larger than those living farther south. "[51], In August 2020, the National Park Service reported that wolverines had been sighted at Mount Rainier, Washington, for the first time in more than a century. [26] Smaller predators are occasionally preyed on, including martens, mink, foxes, Eurasian lynx,[27] weasels,[27] and coyote and wolf pups. For example, the US state of Michigan is, by tradition, known as "the Wolverine State", and the University of Michigan takes the animal as its mascot. The origins of this association are obscure; it may derive from a busy trade in wolverine furs in Sault Ste. In Lithuanian is ernis, in Latvian—tinis or āmrija. [78] Similarly, the Dené, a group of the Athabaskan-speaking natives of northwestern Canada, have many stories of the wolverine as a trickster and cultural transformer much like the coyote in the Navajo tradition or raven in Northwest Coast traditions. [59] In May 2016 the same wolverine was killed by a cattle ranch-hand in North Dakota, ending a greater-than-800-mile (1287 km) trip by this lone male wolverine, dubbed M-56. Updates? Individual wolverines have also moved into historic range in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but have not established breeding populations in these areas. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. This land dwelling mammal is known by many other names including the Skunk Bear, Devil Bear, Carcajou (by the French-Canadians) and Glutten (by Europeans). Wolverine is a worthy opponent to any hunter, human or non-human. Wolverines inhabiting the Old World (specifically, Fennoscandia) hunt more actively than their North American relatives. Wolverines have a very stocky, powerful and muscular build. There have also been professional baseball and football clubs called the "Wolverines". However, this feeding style is believed to be an adaptation to food scarcity, especially in winter.[24]. It may follow traplines to cabins and devour food stocks or carry off portable items; its offensive odour permeates the invaded cabin. SIZE: Males are 30-40% heavier than females and can weigh up to … The Finnish name is ahma, derived from ahmatti, which is translated as "glutton". [45], Wolverines live primarily in isolated arctic, boreal, and alpine regions of northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia, and Fennoscandia; they are also native to European Russia, the Baltic countries, the Russian Far East, northeast China and Mongolia. Prior to giving birth, females will create dens in the snow banks and rely on these dens until the young are weaned. The wolverine is native to northern regions of North America, Europe and Asia. Wolverine, (Gulo gulo), also called glutton, carcajou, or skunk bear, member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) that lives in cold northern latitudes, especially in timbered areas, around the world. The average annual home ranges for adult males and males of unknown age are 139 to 257 mi² (359-666 km²) [54,75,115]. ... Wolverine Animal. Marie in the 18th century or may recall a disparagement intended to compare early settlers in Michigan with the vicious mammal. Its name in other West Germanic languages is similar (e.g. They often feed on carrion left by wolves, so changes in wolf populations may affect the population of wolverines. Marvel Comics character James "Logan" Howlett was given the name "Wolverine" because of his short stature, keen animal senses, and ferocity. [2][4], Recently compiled genetic evidence suggests most of North America's wolverines are descended from a single source, likely originating from Beringia during the last glaciation and rapidly expanding thereafter, though considerable uncertainty to this conclusion is due to the difficulty of collecting samples in the extremely depleted southern extent of the range. They have paw… [3], There are two subspecies: the Old World form, Gulo gulo gulo, and the New World form, G. g. luscus. Wolverines have huge home ranges and have a sparse density, which lessens their impacts. Others may be much smaller yet have immense power compared to their size. The coarse, long-haired coat is blackish brown with a light brown stripe extending from each side of the neck along the body to the base of the tail. They can weigh from 24 to70 pounds and be about30 inches tall. Wolverines use their non-retractable claws not just to bury … Wolveri… Wolverine fur is prized for parka hoods, as frost from human breath can easily be brushed off wolverine fur (Hazard, 1982). [54], Most New World wolverines live in Canada and Alaska. [61], Around a hundred wolverines are held in zoos across North America and Europe, and they have been bred in captivity, but only with difficulty and high infant mortality.[70]. The wolverine (/ˈwʊlvəriːn/) (also spelled wolverene), Gulo gulo (Gulo is Latin for "glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch (from East Cree, kwiihkwahaacheew), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. Their diets are sometimes supplemented by birds' eggs, birds (especially geese), roots, seeds, insect larvae, and berries. The range of a male wolverine can be more than 620 km2 (240 mi2), encompassing the ranges of several females which have smaller home ranges of roughly 130–260 km2 (50–100 mi2). [72] However, in France, the wolverine's name is glouton (glutton). Wolverine and Human Interaction. In the Sierra Nevada, wolverines were sighted near Winnemucca Lake in spring 1995 and at Toe Jam Lake north of the Yosemite border in 1996; and later photographed by baited cameras, including in 2008 and 2009, near Lake Tahoe. Scientists studying North American wolverines have observed significant population declines in regions experiencing sharp decreases in snowpack. The wolverine is prevalent in stories and oral history from various Algonquian tribes and figures prominently in the mythology of the Innu people of eastern Quebec and Labrador. It stopped and turned to look in our direction. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/animal/wolverine, wolverine - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), wolverine - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), See how wolverines and ravens aid each other while scavenging for food.