Wolverine

Wolverines are federally listed as a species of special concern in Canada

The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is blue listed (vulnerable) in British Columbia. A wide-ranging carnivore and member of the weasel family, the wolverine is compact, powerful, and resembles a small bear with a bushy tail.  It is well adapted for a scavenging lifestyle with strong jaws to consume and cache large ungulate carrion, and large feet for ease of travel in snow.

Map

Biodiversity Interactive Map - Wolverine

Range

• Holarctic; northern Europe, northern Asia, and western and northern North America
• Broadly distributed in B.C. except on coastal islands, interior grasslands.
• Throughout the Columbia Basin in mountainous areas

Habitat

• Riparian, upland and alpine habitats, often associated with ungulate winter ranges
• Avoids high human use areas such as roads and winter recreation sites
• Appears to be associated with persistent spring snow cover areas, likely for denning.

Reproduction

• Breed in summer, delayed implantation
• Gestation is 30-40 days once implanted
• Kits are born in a secure den, usually in March
• Average litter size is 2-3 kits

Listing and Date

Threats to Species

• Human activity (will abandon den sites if disturbed)
• Oil, gas, mineral exploration, urban development, backcountry recreation, road building, etc.
• Subject to trapping and has been over-harvested in some areas.
• Loss of diverse prey base

Select Reports

• The bioclimatic envelope of the wolverine (Gulo gulo): do climatic constraints limit its geographicdistribution?
• Multiscale Habitat Use by Wolverines in British Columbia,Canada
• The Abundance and Distribution of Wolverines in British Columbia, Canada
• Evaluation of Live-Capture Techniques for Free-Ranging Wolverines
• Food habits of wolverine Gulo gulo in montane ecosystems of British Columbia, Canada
• Synthesis of Survival Rates and Causes of Mortality in North American Wolverines

Full Report Listing (most recent on top)

• Human caused mortality in the endangered Scandinavian wolverinepopulation
• Female wolverine (Gulo gulo) reproduction:reproductive costs and winter food availability
• Microsatellite Analysis of North American Wolverines
• Wolverine Winter Travel Routes and Response to Transportation Corridors in Kicking Horse Pass Between Yoho and Banff National Parks
• Wolverine Ecology and Habitat Use in t he Northern Columbia Mountains: Progress Report
• FWCP/HCTF Project Progress Report - Kootenay Wolverine - Fiscal Year 1998/99

For more information on this species, visit The Species at Risk Public Registry and /or The BC Species and Ecosystem Explorer where you should enter “wolverine” in the Species Name field.