Wolverine

The Gulo gulo, an elusive mammal, is the fiercest creature in its family, Mustelidae. Its most common name is the wolverine but is also referred to as the skunk bear, glutton, and carcajou. The conservation of this carnivorous mammal insures not only the wolverine's survival but also the survival of other species in its biome that depend on it.

The wolverine is a very interesting creature for many reasons. It may be the largest mammal in its family but it is the least terrestrial. The wolverine is a mix between a skunk and a black bear. It has black or dark brown fur resembling the black bear and has a light brown stripe running down its back starting at the shoulders and ending at the tail resembling a skunk. The wolverine's stature is rather small compared to its aggressiveness, its height ranges depending on the gender. The male wolverine can be as tall as 12-15 inches tall and up to 42-45 pounds. The females are a little bit smaller having similar height, weighing only 25 pounds. Both male and female wolverines have a length form head to tail of up to 44 inches. The wolverines are carnivorous meaning they hunt or scavenge for other creatures it its biome. "It feeds primarily on mice, lemmings, birds, amphibians, and berries but will attack large animals, such as the moose, when they are sick or trapped and exhausted in deep snow" (Curtin).

The environment in which the wolverine lives causes it to be very adaptive. Wolverines are mostly found in tundra, boreal forests or in remote mountain ranges in the northern hemisphere. Due to the few numbers of this specie they are only found in Northern Canada, and in remote areas of the northwestern states including Alaska, Washington and Oregon. They are also known to be living in Siberia, in northern Asia, and in a few countries in northern Europe. All of these areas are cold and very wet all year round. "Ecological factors that may limit wolverine distribution include climate, the availability of relatively undisturbed taiga and tundra, and prey density" (Breen). A couple of characteristics help the wolverine survive in these frigid conditions. They have a thick coat of black or dark brown fur. This coat of fur is very unique; it is water proof not allowing any water on the skin which insures survival through cold, wet conditions protecting the wolverine from hypothermia.

Wolverines are considered one of the rarest mammals in North America. The extinction of its species would cause devastation not only to its environment but also to the human race. "Wolverines have a lifespan of about sixteen years" (Rue 159). Even though their lifespan is no where near human's it is all relative to their environment. In the food chain for its biome, the wolverine is very close to the top as it has few if no predators depending on the area. It feeds on almost everything it can hunt or scavenge. Humans hunt the wolverine for its high value fur pelts. If the extinction of this mammal would occur, animals below the wolverine in the food chain would, over time, increase in population and animals above it in the food chain would survive but may also have trouble as they could no longer scavenge off of its killings. Humans

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