- Arctic Sweet Arctic. The wolverine is perfectly adapted to live in snowy terrain. Covered in a thick, frost-resistant coat, the wolverine keeps warm well enough through the winter that there is no need to hibernate. The wolverine is also equipped with some pretty ingenious feet. When a wolverine takes a step, its paw spreads to almost twice its original size. Like built-in snowshoes, this makes it easier for the wolverine to walk on snow.
- Gulo Gulo. Gulo gulo is the wolverine’s scientific name and comes from the Latin word “Gulo” which means “glutton”. As well as having a ferocious temper, the wolverine also has a ferocious appetite.
- Stink Bear. The wolverine is also called “skunk bear” or “stink bear”. This is because it can release a nasty yellow secretion to mark territory mainly, but also in defense, like a skunk.
- Small, but Big. The weasel’s larger cousin, the wolverine, is the largest terrestrial member of the mustelid family. A wolverine can grow up to 42 inches long and weight up to 70 lbs with males weighing almost twice as much as females. Of all the mustelids, only the sea otter and giant otter are larger. Although a relatively small animal, the wolverine has a ferocious “never back down” attitude and will take on larger animals like moose, wolves, and even bears. This ferocity is the direct inspiration for the fictional “Wolverine” given its stature. (The comic book character’s height is 5′ 3″)
- Good Fathers. Although on the independent side, the wolverine have been proven to be good fathers. Studies have shown that male wolverines look after newborns, while the mother hunts. Once the kits are old enough to hunt, they sometimes travel with the father, although they ultimately stay with their mother until they are full adults.
featured art:
“Wolverine”
graphite on paper
8 x 12 inches
