Wolverines
- Classification: Species: Gulo gulo
- Other Names: Wolverine
- Appearance: Wolverines are one of the largest mustelids (incl.
badgers, weasels, ferrets) and look something like a gigantic marten on
steriods. They have long, deadly-looking claws and thick chestnut fur,
with a cream-yellow throat patch. They are typically 65-105 cm long,
not including the 17-26 cm tail. Females are at least ten percent
smaller than males in linear measurements and 30 percent less in weight.
- Life Span: In the wild, most wolverines live for 8 to 10 years, but
they can live for up to 17 years in captivity.
- Diet: Wolverines eat just about any creature, from small rodents to
full sized deer. They can bring down creatures five times their
size. Wolverines can reach speeds of over thirty miles per hour and
commonly feed on reindeer, roe deer, wild sheep, and elk.
- Habitat: The female builds snow-dams when she has young, and
otherwise wolverines build beds of grass or leaves in caves or rock
crevices, in burrows made by other animals, or under fallen trees.
Wolverines typically live in boreal forests, mountains or open plains and
brushlands.
- Typical Personality: Wolverines are strong, aggressive, and vicious.
They have been known to drive bears, cougars, and even wolf packs from
their kills. They are intelligent and difficult to trap - some have
been known to carry traps away and bury them, or to drop sticks in the traps
from above. They have been known to play with objects and each other,
and young wolverines often play with their siblings.
- Habits: Wolverines are mostly nocturnal, though they are
occasionally active in daylight.
- Life Cycle: One litter of one to six young are born every other
year between January and April. They are weaned after 8 or 10 weeks
and leave the mother in the fall.
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