Wolverine

The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a member of the Mustelidae or weasel family, which also includes fishers and martens. It has been nicknamed the "skunk bear", because it reminds many of a cross between a skunk and small bear.

With an average weight between 25-40 pounds it is the largest terrestrial member of the Mustelidae family, with males being 30-40% larger than females. They are brown in color, with a light stripe along its side. Others may also have light or silvery foreheads, underbodies and ears. They have long claws and pads on their feet that allow them to run in the snow.

A carnivore, they will feed on many things from small eggs to deer. Their strong compact body allows them to take down animals 5 times their own size. Prey includes reindeer, roe deer, wild sheep and elk. Legendary for its appetite, strength and fierce disposition the wolverine actually obtains much of its food by scavenging.

Mating occurs once every two years with an average of 2 kits per litter. Litters of 3 or 4 kits have also been found. Habitat for the wolverine consists of "boreal" forests, evergreen forests that develop in areas with long, severe winters. Home ranges may be anywhere from 30-250 square miles for a single animal. The largest being 770 square miles.

Historically in the lower 48 states the wolverine once inhabited forests from Maine to Washington and south along the Rocky Mountains into Arizona and New Mexico. Today the last remaining stronghold in the lower 48 states is in western Montana and parts of Idaho, with scattered sightings in a half dozen other states.

Learn More

Montana considers wolverine trapping quotas—Comments Due August 5! [PCA comment letter, July 16, 2004 (500 KB .pdf file)]

Wolverine denied ESA protections [USFWS Press Release, October 21, 2003]

Suit Seeks Listing for Wolverine [PCA Press , October 9, 2002]

Keeping the Wild in the West [A Multi-Species Carnivore Conservation Inititative, PCA Report, August 2002]

Multi-species Carnivore Conservation Initiative [Seven maps which illustrate forest carnivore observations and occupation on public lands in the West, August 2002]

The Wolverine [excerpt from PCA "The Wild Bunch" slideshow script]

Wilderness Traveler: The Wolverine [PCA Article]

The Wolverine . . . Rough Sledding for a Tough Customer [PCA Article]

Priority Mapping of Forest Carnivores in the American West (html) [Illustrates sightings and priority habitat areas of fisher, lynx and wolverine.]

ESA Protections Sought for the Wild Wolverine [PCA Press Release, July 11, 2000]

Learn more!