Wolverine - Sierra Club BC
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Wolverine

CAN BE FOUND IN:

Wolverine

Gulo gulo

Appearance

Wolverines are in the weasel family, but are shaped more like a small bear. They are about the size of a medium dog and they have dark brown fur and two stripes of yellowish fur down each side of the body and yellow-white patches on the face. They have long, curved claws which are semi-retractable (they can be partly drawn back in). 

range & habitat

Wolverines are found in all northern areas in the world. They are known for having a large home range and low numbers in their population.

reciprocal relationships

Wolverines are carnivores, usually scavenging rather than hunting. When they do hunt, they normally go after small rodents. As scavengers, wolf kills are important for them and wolverines have been known to drag away moose and caribou carcasses in the winter. Their existence in an ecosystem usually indicates an ecosystem with minimal human disturbance. 

Wolverine populations are decreasing for two main reasons: (1) trapping/poisoning, and (2) loss of habitat. Their fur is very high quality and therefore high in value. Increased roads, built for logging activity, have made wolverines more vulnerable to trappers who can use the same logging roads for their traps. Activities such as snowmobiling and skiing near wolverine dens can disturb this species and negatively impact their populations. These factors, in combination with their naturally low numbers, have led to an international decrease in wolverine populations.  

status

COSEWIC: Special Concern 
CDC: No Status: Two subspecies are red and blue 

more information

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca

photo credit

Canva

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