Wolverine
Wolverine (Gulo Gulo)
(Photo from Washington Times)
In 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finally decided that it was necessary to list the wolverine as threatened or endangered species. Researchers believe there may be less than 300 wolverines in the lower 48 states. They are opportunistic carnivores feeding mostly on carrion and scavenging. It is the largest animal in the weasel family. It is one of the most elusive animals because it stays away from people as much as they can. They can travel as many as 18 miles in a day searching for food.
The main threat to this species is climate change. So global climate change is working against the wolverines. The wolverines natural niche are observed to be areas that are constantly covered in snow. They use the snow for denning, cooling down when they get too hot, and also they use the snow to stash food. That is what makes this creature so vulnerable. If they don’t have the snow then they have a huge disadvantage. They can’t make their food last, they have to turn to other forms of shelter, and they overheat in hotter temperatures. According to the Seattle Times, researchers in the northwestern United States are making plans to study wolverine with hopes of reintroducing them to several regions. SO hopefully if things go well and wolverines can adapt to living and being reintroduced to different areas, then their populations will rise. I picked this animal because they have been one of my favorite animals for a while. They are fiesty and tough animals. I was surprised to learn how much they can travel. One male near Yellowstone traveled over 500 miles in 42 days.
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