Wolverine (Gulo gulo) lives in boreal forest and tundra across Northern North America, Europe, and Asia. It feeds on small mammals carrion. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Wolverine
- Adult wolverines stretch up to 109 cm long, stand 45 cm at the shoulder, and weigh as much as 18 kg, with rare reports of 32 kg males, making them the biggest land mustelids. Their bite packs a 940.8-Newton compressive force at the mandibular condyle, the strongest among carnivores. This raw power lets a solitary animal take down prey many times its size.
- A male wolverine's territory can exceed 620 km², dwarfing the 130-260 km² ranges of the females it overlaps. In the wild, males often roam 600-1,000 km² while females hold 50-350 km², and in winter these home ranges can swell to 2,000 km². Such vast spaces mean individuals may travel hundreds of miles in months, making habitat fragmentation a lethal threat because even small developments can cut off essential hunting and denning ground.
- Wolverines mate in summer, but the fertilized egg pauses development until early winter, a delayed implantation that can stretch pregnancy to 120-272 days. After this pause, gestation lasts only 30-50 days, and kits are born in spring. This timing syncs birth with the brief window of snow cover, ensuring mothers can cache food in the deep snow for their vulnerable newborns.
- Their thick, oily fur is highly hydrophobic, repelling frost and keeping the animal warm in Arctic blasts. This property made wolverine pelts prized by hunters and trappers for lining parkas and jackets, highlighting the cultural value of its unique coat.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeNorthern North America, Europe, and Asia
HabitatBoreal forest and tundra
DietSmall mammals carrion
About the Wolverine
In the frozen wilderness, the wolverine emerges as a force of unyielding ferocity, its compact, muscular frame propelling it through the snowy landscape with a purposeful gait, as if driven by an insatiable hunger for exploration. With eyes aglow like embers, this elusive creature navigates the treacherous terrain with an air of quiet confidence, its rugged, frost-encrusted coat a testament to its unyielding adaptability. As it moves, the wolverine leaves behind a trail of subtle signs, a whispered promise of its presence, a hint of the mysterious and often unseen world that it inhabits.
Hear the Wolverine, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
