Wolverine
Gulo gulo or Glutton, Skunk Bear
Description - A bulky, bear-like animal, the wolverine
is dark brown with broad, yellowish bands from shoulders
to hips, meeting at the base of the tail. The male is
generally larger than the female and average weight is
18-42 pounds.
Distribution - Preferring forests and tundra, the
wolverine is distributed throughout British Columbia except
in heavily populated areas. The also occupy Alaska, Yukon,
and the Northwest Territories but are rare in the Prairies
and eastward.
Biology - 2 to 5 wolverine young are born in the early
spring in a protected area such as a thicket or rock crevice.
They remain with their mother for 2 years.
The
wolverine eats anything it can find or kill; being poor
hunters they tend to follow wolves and bears, feeding
off the leftovers from kills.
In
general, the most severe winters when ungulates fare poorly
are the winters when wolverine thrive. Because the oils
in the wolverines fur make it frost resistant, man uses
it abundantly to line or trim parka hoods. The main cause
of mortality in wolverines is trapping by man.
|
