North American wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus)
Taxonomy:
Listing Status:
General Information
The wolverine is the largest terrestrial member of the family Mustelidae, with adult males weighing 12 to 18 kilograms (kg) (26 to 40 pounds (lb)) and adult females weighing 8 to 12 kg (17 to 26 lb) (Banci 1994). It resembles a small bear with a bushy tail. It has a round, broad head; short, rounded ears; and small eyes. There are five toes on each foot, with curved and semiretractile claws used for digging and climbing (Banci 1994).
- States/US Territories in which the North American wolverine, Wherever found is known to or is believed to occur: California , Colorado , Idaho , Montana , Nevada , New Mexico , Oregon , Utah , Washington , Wyoming
- US Counties in which the North American wolverine, Wherever found is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- USFWS Refuges in which the North American wolverine, Wherever found is known to occur:
Benton Lake Wetland Management District, Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Swan River National Wildlife Refuge, Swan Valley Conservation Area
... Show All Refuges
| Status | Date Listed | Lead Region | Where Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) | Wherever found |
» Candidate Information
» Federal Register Documents
» Conservation Plans
| HCP Plan Summaries |
|---|
| Cedar River Watershed HCP |
| West Fork Timber HCP (formerly Murray Pacific) |
» Petitions
» Life History
Habitat Requirements
Wolverines do not appear to specialize on specific vegetation or geological habitat aspects, but instead select areas that are cold and receive enough winter precipitation to reliably maintain deep persistent snow late into the warm season (Copeland et al. 2010, entire). The requirement of cold, snowy conditions means that, in the southern portion of the species’ range where ambient temperatures are warmest, wolverine distribution is restricted to high elevations, while at more northerly latitudes, wolverines are present at lower elevations and even at sea level in the far north (Copeland et al. 2010, Figure 1). Deep, persistent, and reliable spring snow cover (April 15 to May 14) is the best overall predictor of wolverine occurrence in the contiguous United States (Aubry et al. 2007, pp. 2152-2156; Copeland et al. 2010, entire).
Food Habits
Wolverines are opportunistic feeders, consuming a variety of foods depending on availability. They primarily scavenge carrion, but also prey on small animals and birds and eat fruits, berries, and insects (Hornocker and Hash 1981; Wilson 1982; Hash 1987; Banci 1994). Wolverines have an excellent sense of smell, enabling them to find food beneath deep snow (Hornocker and Hash 1981).
Movement / Home Range
Wolverines have large spatial requirements; the availability and distribution of food is likely the primary factor in determining wolverine movements and home range (Hornocker and Hash 1981; Banci 1994). Wolverines can travel long distances over rough terrain and deep snow, with adult males generally covering greater distances than females (Hornocker and Hash 1981; Banci 1994). Home ranges of wolverines are generally extremely large, but vary greatly depending on availability of food, gender, age, and differences in habitat. Home ranges of adult wolverines range from less than 100 square kilometers (km2) to over 900 km2 (38.5 square miles (mi2) to 348 mi2) (Banci 1994). Home range sizes are large relative to the body size of wolverines, and may indicate that wolverines occupy a relatively unproductive niche in which they must forage over large areas to consume the amount of calories needed to meet their life-history requirements (Inman et al. 2007a, p. 11).
Reproductive Strategy
Breeding generally occurs from late spring to early fall. Females undergo delayed implantation until the following winter to spring, when active gestation lasts from 30 to 40 days (Rausch and Pearson 1972). Litters are born between February and April, containing one to five kits, with two to three kits being the most common number (Hash 1987). Female wolverines use natal (birthing) dens that are excavated in snow. Persistent, stable snow greater than 1.5 meters (m) (5 feet (ft)) deep appears to be a requirement for natal denning, because it provides security for offspring and buffers cold winter temperatures (Pulliainen 1968, p. 342; Copeland 1996, pp. 92-97; Magoun and Copeland 1998, pp. 1317-1318; Banci 1994, pp. 109-110; Inman et al. 2007c, pp. 71-72; Copeland et al. 2010, pp. 240-242). Female wolverines go to great lengths to find secure den sites, suggesting that predation is a concern (Banci 1994, p. 107). Natal dens consist of tunnels that contain well-used runways and bed sites and may naturally incorporate shrubs, rocks, and downed logs as part of their structure (Magoun and Copeland 1998, pp. 1315-1316; Inman et al. 2007c, pp. 71-72). Occupation of natal dens is variable, ranging from approximately 9 to 65 days (Magoun and Copeland 1998, pp. 1316-1317).
Other
The primary threat to the North American wolverine is from habitat and range loss due to climate warming. Wolverines inhabit habitats with near-arctic conditions wherever they occur. In the contiguous United States, wolverine habitat is restricted to high-elevation areas in the West. Wolverines are dependent on deep persistent snow cover for successful denning, and they concentrate their year-round activities in areas that maintain deep snow into spring and cool temperatures throughout summer. Wolverines in the contiguous United States exist as small and semi-isolated subpopulations in a larger metapopulation that requires regular dispersal of wolverines between habitat patches to maintain itself. These dispersers achieve both genetic enrichment and demographic support of recipient populations. Climate changes are predicted to reduce wolverine habitat and range by 23 percent over the next 30 years and 63 percent over the next 75 years, rendering remaining wolverine habitat significantly smaller and more fragmented. By 2045, maintenance of the contiguous U.S. wolverine population in the currently occupied area will likely require human intervention to facilitate genetic exchange and possibly also facilitate metapopulation dynamics by moving individuals between habitat patches that are no longer accessed regularly by dispersers. Other threats are minor in comparison to the driving primary threat of climate change; however, they could become significant when working in concert with climate change if they further suppress an already stressed population. These secondary threats include harvest, i.e., trapping ; inadequate regulatory mechanisms to protect against human recreational disturbance, infrastructure developments, and transportation corridors; and demographic stochasticity and loss of genetic diversity due to small effective population sizes.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.
