Wolverines are mammals found in colder regions. They are somewhat similar to a small bear with dark brown fur, long claws and a black and brown head. The wolverine is larger than a raccoon and can grow up to 20-66 pounds. It is a versatile animal that adapts to a wide range of habitats and has a varied diet. We all know skunks are smelly, but did you know that wolverines smell too? Their anal glands produce fluid, which they spray onto trees to delineate their territory and scare off other wolverines. Does this mean that prey can smell them a mile away and avoid lunch? Let’s find out how the wolverine hunts and what they eat!
How do wolverines hunt?
What could smell worse than a stinky wolverine? A dead caribou basking in the sun for three days! A dead caribou definitely won’t be bothered by the smell of wolverine. Wolverines often feed on dead animals and collect carcasses of deer, caribou and elk. When hunting, they like to hunt on their own at night and look for smaller animals such as rabbits or small rodents. In some areas, they will attack sheep or small bears. If I had a choice, I would prefer a fight with a sheep over a bear any day!
What do wolverines eat?
Wolverines feed on carrion, voles, ground squirrels, rabbits, and also feed on rodents.
They have an incredible sense of smell and food in search of food. Wolverines can sniff and find carrion over long distances, and in winter they can smell through layers of snow to find burrowing rodents such as voles, ground squirrels, and rabbits. During the summer months, they can find these rodents and dig them out of the ground with their long claws. Wolverines also use their claws to rend stumps in search of insects and larvae. Although mostly carnivores, they also eat berries and roots.
A complete list of what wolverines eat:
- Carrion
- Deer
- Caribou
- Elk
- Rabbits
- Voles
- Gophers
- Fox
- Beaver
- Insects
- Larvae
- Berries
- Roots
Are wolverine diets the same all year round?
One study from Scandinavia tracked the eating habits of 41 wolverines in four locations. They tried to observe whether they were collecting more or more hunt live prey, and whether that changed in the winter, snowy months. The results showed that wolverines are flexible and adapt to the most readily available food sources. In summer there were many young deer, so they hunted more. In winter, there were more falling, so that it became their main source of food.
Do wolverines save food for later?
Yes, especially during the winter months. If they manage to kill a large prey, they will bury the leftover meat in the snow to keep it fresh, like in a wolverine refrigerator! During warmer months, they can hide excess food in a tree stump and return later to eat.
What does a wolverine eat?
Wolverines are known to be tough animals that you probably don’t want to mess with. But there are several animals that can attack and kill a wolverine. Wolves, mountain lions and bears are the predators of the wolverine. People too. People hunt wolverines for their fur, they make parkas and winter coats from it. Currently, wolverines are not endangered, so hunting them is legal.