Wolverine

Wolverine, carnivorous mammal, native to the northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, whose habits are much like those of the badger. French-Canadians call this animal the carcajou, and Anglo-Canadians call it the quickhatch. In Europe it is called the glutton. The wolverine's body is heavyset, the legs are short and thick, and the claws are long and curved. The head and tail are carried low, and the back forms a high arch. The snout is short and pointed, and the head is blunt and rounded; the eyes are set widely apart, and the ears project only a short distance above the head fur. The tail is short and extremely bushy, the individual hairs being up to 20 cm (up to 8 in) in length. The thick body fur is composed of long glossy hairs; it is dark brown except for a lighter stripe running the entire length of each side. The length of the body, excluding the tail, is 65 to 105 cm (26 to 41 in).

The wolverine is found in forests and open plains, ranging north to the Arctic Circle and south to the northern border of the United States. It also occurs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. It is nocturnal and does not hibernate. In spite of its seemingly clumsy movements, the wolverine can move swiftly; the animal usually travels alone except during breeding season. The young are born from January through April, usually two to four to a litter. Wolverines will eat bird eggs, berries, and any animal they can kill and, lacking live prey, will eat carrion. They are adept at robbing the traps that hunters set for other animals. Although once abundant, the wolverine is now rare due to overhunting, both for its fur and because it is viewed as a pest by some people.

Scientific classification: The wolverine belongs to the family Mustelidae. It is classified as Gulo gulo.

Wolverine Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2001. © 1993-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.