Wolverine
Gulo gulo
The largest land-dwelling weasel, the wolverine is a 40-pound animal that drives bears off of carcasses and roams hundreds of miles across snow.
Browse the Woodcut Wild shop →Habitat
Wolverines need deep snow, cold temperatures, and vast unbroken territory. They live in the boreal forest, alpine tundra, and high northern latitudes — anywhere remote enough to stay clear of people.
Behavior
Wolverines are scavengers and opportunistic predators. A single animal can travel 15 miles in a day, climb sheer rock faces, and cache frozen meat under snow for months. Their jaws are powerful enough to bite through frozen carcasses that would break a wolf's teeth.
Marginalia
- Females den under deep spring snow — without persistent snowpack, kits can't survive.
- The genus name Gulo means "glutton" in Latin.
- A wolverine's territory can span 240 square miles for a single male.
- They are documented to have killed adult moose in deep snow.
