Wolverine

The wolverine is the largest land-dwelling member of the weasel family, Mustelidae. It is a muscular, bear-like hunter that lives alone. It has a reputation for fierceness out of proportion to its size and can kill animals many times larger than itself.

Wolverines live in the remote northern boreal forests, subarctic and alpine tundra of the Northern Hemisphere. The most live in northern Canada, Alaska, the Nordic countries, and western Russia and Siberia. Despite its reputation, it is also a very hardy survivor of snowy wilderness. It is a tough survivor of snowy places and covers huge areas when searching for food.

What's in a name?

Its Latin name Gulo means 'glutton'. This reputation may come partly from a false etymology, a mix-up of a Norwegian word meaning 'mountain cat' with German Vielfraß, 'devours much'.

In French Canada it is called carcajou, and in Finnish ahma. Its range once reached much farther south than it does today. The glutton reputation may come partly from a mistaken word origin, not from its real habits.

Facing change

Wolverine numbers have steadily fallen since the 19th century because of trapping, a smaller range and habitat split into pieces. They have mostly vanished from the southern ends of their old range in Europe and North America.

Its wide paws work like snowshoes, helping it travel over deep snow. It is often found in alpine tundra as well as northern forests.

On the globe

The model shows a stocky, bear-like wolverine in a cold northern landscape.