 |
More Information
The Wolverine
The wolverine is a very unusual animal because it has the ability to fight bears and cougars even though it is not as big as them. Many thought the wolverine would become extinct but they were wrong. They thrive and grow despite overwhelming odds.
A Few Facts About Wolverines
Wolverines fight cougars and grizzly bears. They are fearless carnivores..
A wolverine adapts to its environment very quickly. The wolverine's long fur is brown and black with yellowish-white stripes along each side which helps to camouflage it in wilderness areas by making it blend in with the trees, bushes and the ground. Therefore, this allows the wolverine to hunt its prey with more ease. Also, Wolverines have the ability to outsmart other animals and the Inuit Indians believe the wolverine has special powers because almost all other animals fear it.
The wolverine is 86 cm (34 in) long including a 25 cm (10 in) long bushy tail. It stands 35 cm (12 in) high. It weighs 60 lb. (27 kg).
Wolverines are opportunistic feeders, or scavengers and may eat almost any creature they encounter. In the winter the wolverine food demands are most critical. It mostly eats small and medium-sized animals but occasionally kills an elk or a caribou. In summertime, the most important part of the wolverine's diet is large mammal carrion. If that is not available, they feast on small and medium-sized animals.
A wolverine requires about 750 ml of water a day to survive and therefore must have access to a good source of fresh water nearby. This is usually found in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds located in its habitat and is not polluted.
Wolverines occur in a variety of habitats. Wolverines are likely to occupy habitats such as boreal forests, tundra and the western mountains. The wolverine's habitat is probably most influenced by the level of adequate year-round food supplies in large, sparsely inhabited wilderness areas rather than by topography. However, wolverines appear to live better in remote mountainous areas because there is less disturbance from man.
An adult wolverine's territory ranges from 100-900 square kilometers, depending on the abundance and distribution of food. This is because animals try to stay away from the wolverine, as far as they can. If the wolverine cannot find any food in its territory, it will move farther afield.
Adaptations:
The wolverine does not have many predators because most animals fear it. Bears and cougars may fight it but they do not hunt it.
The wolverine can hunt, kill and eat many animals in its food-scavenging activities. It eats small and medium-sized animals such as snowshoe hares, porcupines, ground squirrels, hoary marmots and lemmings. The wolverine also depends on eating large- mammals too such as elk, caribou, deer etc and have been known to kill moose. Depending on the season, it also preys on ground-nesting birds such as the ptarmigan, ducks and other waterfowl where they are available.
This is why we chose Wolverine as our Clan.