![]() |
![]() |
||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
|||
![]() |
|||
|
Wolverine
Historically, the Wolverine could be found in all of Canada's
ecozones, and therefore was found in a wide variety of habitats. Although the range of this species has contracted in recent years, it is still found in a diversity of ecozones, including the
Boreal Forest, and
Subalpine regions. Furthermore, home ranges of Wolverines, which are typically hundreds of square kilometres in size, usually encompass a variety of habitat types. It is therefore not surprising that specific habitat preferences for Wolverines have rarely been described.
Wolverines will be found where ever there is an available food
supply rather than where the landscape may possess specific attributes. The Wolverine is both a scavenger and a predator, depending on the time of year. During the summer months, Wolverines are primarily predatory, with the most common prey being marmots, ground squirrels, mice, voles, birds and insects. Eggs and berries also may be included in the summer diet. During the winter, Wolverines are primarily scavengers and rely heavily on
large ungulates killed by other predators or that have died of disease or starvation. However, live American Porcupines, mice and voles may supplement their winter diet, and Wolverines have been known to kill Caribou and Moose if snow conditions are favorable or if the prey is weakened. The importance of a large population of
ungulates seems to be critical to the survival of Wolverines during the winter. Wolverines are solitary animals except during the breeding season and while the female still has kits. Females usually dig a den under the snow down to ground level for the kits, or they may use
blown down trees or rock crevices that have been covered in snow. Wolverines may be sensitive to human disturbances at this time, as females have been known to move their young to less secure dens to avoid human contact. Reprinted from Alberta Wildlife Status Report No. 2 (1997), with permission from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. |
||
Updated August 7th, 2001 by KP |