The general description of a wolverine’s size, coloration, adaptations, and identifying characteristics are as follows: Size, they grow to be around 7 to 32 kilograms or 30-70 lbs in weight, 13-17 inches in height and 30-36 inches in length. The males are approximately 30-40% larger than the females. Coloration: they have brownish black hair with strips of light brown along their side.

 

Their fur is long and dense. It does not retain much moisture which makes it resistant to frost in the cold environment that the Wolverines live in. The Wolverines adaptations are its fur for warmth and its large claws for digging and for grip. The pads on its paws are like snow shoes. Their limbs are powerful and can take down pray larger than its own size like caribou calf’s that are sick or stragglers.

 

Wolverines have been known to drive bears, cougars and packs of wolves away. The identifying characteristics of a wolverine are that they are nocturnal and solitary. The wolverine’s habitat and range: Males can range around 700 square miles but for females it is considerably less. Females with kits will have an even smaller range due to the dependency of their offspring. Wolverines are found in Northern Europe, Siberia, North America, and Greenland.

 

Wolverines do well in their ecosystem because of their body structure. They have a large head and all around very strong body. The population and conservation status: There are about 750 animals around the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains. In the lower southern and eastern 48 states of Canada they are trying to recover the species.

 

The population is low is because of poaching. The fur of the animal is used to make hoods because they resist freezing temperatures. Farmers are also killing the animals because they attach farm animals to eat them. The diet and feeding habits: Their diet contains of berries, insects, birds, eggs, rodents and other small animals.

 

It also consists of full size deer and sheep. If they can get a free meals using their muscle, they will. They steal food and their feeding habits are voracious. Predators of the wolverine: There are not many. Here is a list of the few predators they have: bears, cougars, and humans. The wolverine is so tough that bears and cougars would rather not fight with them. If it is over food or territory, they will fight.

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The interesting facts that I learned. First, one of the nicknames the wolverine has is little bear because it looks just like a little cub. Also it was cool how they can take down animals three times their body weight. Their weight and how big they get is just outstanding. Also how they live is cool.

 

Author: Keagan I

Published: February, 2007

 

Bibliography: McClung, Robert, M., National Geographic Book Service. The Weasel Tribe. Wild Animals of North America. 1960 “The Big Zoo”. 1/16/2007. http://www.thebigzoo.com/Animals/Wolverine.asp. “ARKive”. 2/5/2007. http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Gulo_gulo/more_info.html. “Lowbagger.org”. 2/5/2007. http://lowbagger.org/gulogulo.html. Photo Credit: Public domain image from US Department of Transportation, provided by en:User:Amillar. Photo by Jeffrey C. Lewis