Ferocious yet reclusive, wolverines inhabit the vast northern forests of Russia, Europe and North America; the North American subspecies, which once occupied northern New England and the Great Lakes region, extends southward through the Cascades and Northern Rockies (some have been sighted as far south as California and Colorado). Since they are primarily nocturnal and favor remote areas, these hardy mammals are rarely observed.
Equipped with thick fur, broad paws and powerful jaws, wolverines are loners, canvassing their extensive territory for food; though they often consume berries, wolverines are primarily carnivorous, hunting small mammals and feeding on the remnants of larger animals killed by wolves, bears or mountain lions. Despite their relatively small size (adult males weigh up to 40 lbs.), wolverines will attack young deer, caribou or moose and have been known to kill adults stranded in heavy snow.
This largest member of the weasel family has also been called the devil bear or skunk bear; the former title reflects their ferocity while the latter is derived from their potent scent glands. Maintaining a territory of 200 square miles or more, the males mate with several females in the course of a summer; implantation is delayed and the females give birth to 2-3 kits by early spring. The young stay with their mother for two years and then move off to establish their own vast territories.
