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Wolverine

Mammals

The wolverine is the largest land-dwelling member of the weasel family, found in the boreal forests and tundra of the far Northern Hemisphere across North America, Europe and Asia, recognized by its stocky, muscular build, thick oily fur and powerful jaws and claws adapted for a demanding, wide-ranging life in harsh, cold environments. It has a reputation, well supported by its behavior, for tenacity and strength disproportionate to its size, capable of driving larger predators such as wolves and bears away from carcasses and of taking down prey much larger than itself when the opportunity arises, though it survives mainly by scavenging. Wolverines are solitary and range over enormous territories in search of scattered food, needing large stretches of undisturbed wilderness, and the species is classified as vulnerable due to habitat fragmentation and sensitivity to climate change affecting the snow cover it depends on for denning.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Carnivore 2
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 2
Relationship to People
Hunted or Fished 2
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill).
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Strong limbs, a broad rounded head, small eyes and short rounded ears, most closely resembling a large fisher. 1
Scientific Name
Gulo gulo 1
Conservation Status
Least Concern 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Mustelidae, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

In Biome

Boreal Forest, Biomes
Source Wolverine
Tundra, Biomes
Source Wolverine

In Ecosystem

Source Wolverine
Sources
1. Wolverine
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, opening sentence
    The wolverine ( WUUL-və-reen, US also WUUL-və-REEN; Gulo gulo), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, kwiihkwahaacheew), is the largest land-dwelling member of the family Mustelidae.
  • Conservation section, IUCN rationale sentence
    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".
  • Description section, body-shape comparison sentence
    With strong limbs, broad and rounded head, small eyes and short rounded ears, it most closely resembles a large fisher.
  • In Biome: Boreal Forest, Wikipedia 'Wolverine': found primarily in remote reaches of the northern boreal forests and subarctic and alpine tundra
  • In Biome: Tundra, Wikipedia 'Wolverine': found primarily in remote reaches of the northern boreal forests and subarctic and alpine tundra
  • In Ecosystem: Canadian Boreal Forest, Wikipedia 'Wolverine': found primarily in the northern boreal forests, with the greatest numbers in Northern Canada
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Wolverine
  • diet-classification (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal.
  • system (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    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.
  • Lead section
    population has steadily declined since the 19th century owing to trapping, range reduction and habitat fragmentation
View the Source
Wikidata: Wolverine
Wikidata Q14334, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: MustelidaeView the Source
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