As predator poisoning was phased out during the 1960s, wolverines …
Wolverines are known for traveling long distances. Wolverines in the lower 48 states are under consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act. They have strong, sharp teeth and semi-retractable claws that they use for digging, climbing and scaring away predators. They are considered a species at risk in the Northwest Territories, Canada, a species of special concern in western Canada, and are currently on the US Fish and Wildlife Service list for consideration as a threatened or endangered species for the contiguous United States. Although the wolverine has very specific habitat needs, was never a common species, and was widely persecuted, the primary reason now for a threatened listing is climate change. Wolverines need deep snow to birth and rear their young. In Danger of Extinction: Wolverines started to become endangered due to climate warming through the 1800’s and 1900’s. In summer they eat berries and vegetation too. That determination is seen as key to deciding listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Wolverines are a shy species, so don’t expect to see one out in the wild.
Their paws are large and furry, and act as snowshoes that keep wolverines from sinking into the snow. FWS' decision is its latest justification for denying long overdue protections to this imperiled animal -- protections which were first petitioned for nearly a decade ago.
Wolverines in the Lower 48 live in rugged, remote country, spending most of their time in high elevations near or above timberline.
See the tabs below for further information: Background: This tab provides contextual information about the Endangered Species Act and key terms and concepts. Further north in Alaska and Canada, wolverines occur within a wide variety of elevations in alpine, boreal and arctic habitats, including boreal forests, tundra and western mountains. Montana is hanging on as the only state besides Alaska that allows trapping of wolverines, an elusive mountain dweller rejected for protection under the federal Endangered … Seasonal ranges were all within a large home range; dispersal movements of more than 300 kilometers are known (Magoun 1985, Gardner et al. Although the wolverine has very specific habitat needs, was never a common species, and was widely persecuted, the primary reason now for a threatened listing is climate change. Yet wolverines are tenacious survivors that still have strongholds in Alaska and parts of western Canada. In Alaska, northern British Columbia and Canada's Northwest Territories, the animals have larger territories with density figures at one wolverine per every 124 square miles. Recent Actions : On August 13, 2014, the U.S. Wolverine populations in Alaska, however, are considered stable. Wolverine populations in Alaska, however, are considered stable. 1986). Wolverines are found throughout Alaska but there are areas that wolverines tend to avoid or exist at lower densities because the habitat is not suitable for denning or are highly developed or used by people. 1986). Habitats/Behaviours.
Scientists say that in Alaska the snow has gone down drastically over the past twenty years, and in thirty more years the snow could be gone. Wolverines need deep snow to birth and rear their young. ; Listed species: This tab provides information about endangered and threatened animal and plant species in Alaska; information about the process of listing a species as endangered or threatened is also provided. They will even eat frozen bones and pelts when desperate. Although wolverines are plentiful in Canada and Alaska, scientists believe there are fewer than 300 of these animals left alive in the entire contiguous U.S., with most of them inhabiting Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources estimates the total British Columbia wolverine population at about 3,530 wolverines. For thousands of years, wolverines have lived at naturally low densities in some of the most inaccessible terrain in the Northern Rockies and Cascades, Canada, and Alaska.
Wolverines in the lower 48 states are under consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Location: In North America, wolverines occur within a wide variety of habitats, primarily boreal forests, tundra, and western mountains throughout Alaska and Canada; however, the southern portion of the range extends into the contiguous United States. Fish and Wildlife Service withdrew a proposal to list the North American wolverine in the contiguous United States as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).