Wolverine
Wolverines are large, stocky animals that look like small bears, but they are the largest members of the weasel family.
- Common Name:
- Wolverine
- Scientific Name:
- Gulo gulo
- Type:
- Mammals
- Diet:
- Omnivore
- Average Life Span In The Wild:
- 7 to 12 years
- Size:
- Head and body: 26 to 34 inches; tail: 7 to 10 inches
- Weight:
- 24 to 40 pounds
These tough animals are solitary, and like to roam long distances. Individual wolverines have been known to travel 15 miles (24 kilometers) in a single day in search of food.
Their feet are wide and furred, webbed, and front feet have long, strong claws, which help them climb. They often follow wolves to scavenge the remains of their prey. Wolverines' thick fur is brown with two yellowish stripes on back.
Males mark their territories with their scent, but they allow several female wolverines to live there. Females den in the snow to give birth to two or three young each late winter or early spring. Young wolverines, called kits, sometimes live with their mother until they are two years old.