Wolverines are found in the Arctic and sub-arctic regions. There are lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, and marshes, mountains, plains, tundra, taiga, and alpine regions. They travel through the muskeg, over the hummocks, and through the forest.

Many types of trees are in the wolverine's range. Some trees, such as the white spruce and black spruce cover most of the territory. Willows, alders, quaking aspen, cottonwood, and birch trees are also found throughout most of Alaska.

Wild flowers are common in the summer and fall. The wild poppy, lupine, geranium, columbine, bluebells, and fireweed are just a few types of flowers that brighten the landscape.

Berries are very necessary for food for bears, birds, squirrels, and many other animals. Many kinds of berries grow all over Alaska. In the wolverine's territory are blueberries, crowberries, currants, cranberries, raspberries, bearberries, and several other types.

Summers are short and daylight most of the time. Most baby animals are born in the spring. Many birds migrate to spend their summers in Alaska. Ducks, geese, and swans raise their young after migrating north to mate and nest. Robins, sparrows, and many other birds also raise their young in Alaska. In the fall they will migrate south for the winter. Some birds such as owls, eagles, and gyrfalcons migrate to warmer parts of Alaska. Other birds like the grouse, ptarmigan, and ravens don't seem to wander far.

Bison, musk-ox, caribou, moose, bear, "brown, black, and polar" and wolves are large animals that journey through out the wolverine's territory. In the mountains there are arctic ground squirrels and marmots; mountain goats, and dall sheep feed on the lichens and mosses. In and around lakes and rivers are otters, beavers, mink, weasels, and ermine. The tall grasses, hide the pika, snowshoe hares, shrews, lemmings, and voles. Porcupines and squirrels are often found in trees.

Even in the summer, the far north has few animals, so wolverines are even more scarce in the arctic. There are voles, lemmings, hares, foxes, wolves, owls, caribou, and polar bears that live in the arctic region.

Winter in Alaska brings a crisp stillness to the area most animals develop heavy fur and/or guard hairs to help keep them warm during the winter. Many animals hibernate or estivate. Most birds migrate south. Some animals burrow or den up for protection from the wind, cold and snow. It is during the winter that the wolverine uses food from the many caches to help get through the most severe weather.

Wolverines make snow caves for weather protection. These caves are usually dug into snow drifts and are not very long. Natal dens are prepared during late winter. The female wolverine experiences delayed implantation, having been bred the previous summer. The kits do not begin to grow inside her until mid winter. The den she prepares is long, maybe 30 feet long. Leaves and grasses make up the nest at the rear of the tunnel. The inside climate of the den is constant. Winds and temperatures will not affect the cozziness of the den when the kits are born in March.

The mother wolverine will nurse her kits, taking short trips to caches to eat. Later she will bring food to her kits. In a few weeks, she will take her kits on short hunting trips and they will watch her to learn to hunt. Within a year or two, the kits will move into their own territories and lead solitary lives. Wolverine territories vary in size from a female's range of about a hundred fifty (150) square miles to a male's range well over three hundred (300) square miles. Several female's may have their territories within the territory of a male. Male territories do not usually overlap. All wolverines mark their territory using specialized scent glands and urine. This tells other wolverines that the area has been taken.

Back Home