Wolverine (Gulo gulo)

Mammal Mustelid Carnivore

Overview

The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest land-dwelling member of the weasel family and one of the toughest carnivores of the far north. Bear-like in appearance but built like an oversized mustelid, it is famous for its strength, endurance, and ability to thrive in cold, remote landscapes.

Wolverines range over enormous territories in search of food and are most associated with snowy boreal and tundra environments, where their wide feet help them travel over deep snow.

Conservation note: the wolverine as a species is widespread across the circumpolar north, though some regional populations are of greater concern and the species is sensitive to disturbance and changing snow conditions. Verify current status at iucnredlist.org.

Classification

Taxonomic classification of Gulo gulo
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Mustelidae
Genus	Gulo
Species	G. gulo

The wolverine is a mustelid — the family that includes weasels, otters, badgers, and martens — and the largest member of that family that lives on land.

Habitat & Range

Wolverines inhabit boreal forest, taiga, and alpine tundra across northern Europe, northern and central Asia, and northern North America. They favour cold regions with persistent snow and large, undisturbed areas, and individual animals can range across very large territories.

Diet & Feeding

Wolverines are opportunistic carnivores and powerful scavengers. They hunt small and medium animals and rely heavily on carrion, especially in winter, using strong jaws and teeth to feed on frozen carcasses and bone. They are known to cache food to return to later.

Behavior & Social Life

Wolverines are largely solitary and territorial, covering great distances as they patrol and forage. They are active across the day and night and are renowned for their stamina in difficult terrain. Scent-marking helps them maintain territories in their vast, sparsely populated range.

Appearance & Recognition

Wolverines have a stocky, muscular body, short legs, large paws, and a bushy tail. The dark brown coat is typically marked with a paler band that runs along each side from the shoulders to the rump. The bear-like build combined with weasel-family features makes the wolverine distinctive.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Because they need large, undisturbed, snowy habitats, wolverines are sensitive to human disturbance, habitat fragmentation, and changing conditions in the north. Conservation focuses on protecting connected wilderness. For current status and regional context, consult authoritative sources.

More photos of the wolverine

Wolverine showing its powerful build and dark coat. — Wolverine (Gulo gulo), the largest land mustelid.
Image: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sourced facts

Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it. Open a row's evidence to see the source, where to look in it, and how firmly it supports the value. Sources checked 2026-10-09.

Sourced facts about the Wolverine, with the reference supporting each
Fact	What the source states	Evidence
Geographic range	Boreal zone of North America and northern Eurasia: Scandinavia and Russia to 50° N latitude, and Alaska and northern Canada.Also found in Pacific Coast mountains as far south as the Sierras of California. The range once reached Colorado, Indiana and Pennsylvania. ADW's Conservation Status says that in Europe they now occur only in parts of Scandinavia and northern Russia.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Geographic Range Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Habitat	Alpine forests, tundra, open grasslands and boreal shrub transition zones at or above timberline; found only in cold climates.They generally live where human development is low and need large, undisturbed ranges.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Habitat Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Diet	Opportunistic carnivore and scavenger: anything from small eggs to large ungulates, and readily takes over carcasses killed by other large predators.Large prey (up to five times their size) are taken mainly when stranded in deep snow. Females rearing young take more small and medium prey such as hares, ground squirrels, marmots and lemmings. They cache food and scent-mark the caches.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Food Habits Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body size	Body length 65 to 105 cm, tail 13 to 26 cm, shoulder height 36 to 45 cm; females about 10% smaller than males in linear measurements.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body mass	9 to 30 kg; females are about 30% lighter than males.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Lifespan	Wild: typically 5 to 7 years, up to 13. Captivity: a maximum of 17 years by one figure, averages of 18.0 and 17.3 years by others.sources disagreeThe wild figures agree with each other. In the prose, the 17-year captive maximum is given for females ('Females in captivity have bred up to 10 years old and live up to 17 years'). Main causes of death: starvation, killing by competitors such as wolves, and trapping.	Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web — how we know What each reading says 5 to 7 years — Animal Diversity Web, wild, typical 13 years — Animal Diversity Web, wild, maximum 17 years — Animal Diversity Web, captivity, maximum (prose: females) 18.0 years — Animal Diversity Web, captivity, 'average lifespan' (data panel, Max Planck Institute) 17.3 years — Animal Diversity Web, captivity, 'average lifespan' (data panel, Max Planck Institute) The captive maximum (17 years) is lower than both captive 'average lifespan' figures (18.0 and 17.3 years, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research) in the same account. An average cannot exceed the maximum. Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Lifespan/Longevity Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Activity pattern	Nocturnal but can be active during the day; active year-round, even in severe weather.Where light or darkness lasts a long time, they may alternate three- to four-hour periods of activity and sleep. Key Behaviors lists both diurnal and nocturnal.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Behavior Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Social structure	Solitary, coming together only to mate; territorial and intolerant of same-sex individuals. A male's home range takes in the home ranges of several females.Home ranges are 600 to 1000 km² for males and 50 to 350 km² for females, reaching up to 2,000 km² in winter. Ranges are scent-marked with anal-gland secretions and urine. The mating system is polygynous.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Behavior; Reproduction Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Distinguishing traits	One of the largest mustelids. Brown or brownish-black fur with a yellow or gold stripe running from the crown across each shoulder to the rump.ADW also notes a stocky build, short powerful limbs, a large head, small rounded ears and semi-retractable claws. ADW says 'one of the largest' mustelids, not the largest.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Conservation status	Least Concern (LC), global assessment, 2016	Matches source · IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — how we know IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

References for the facts above

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: Range, habitat, diet, body size and mass, lifespan, activity and social structure, as the account states them. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
ReferenceIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesSupports: The global Red List category and the year of the assessment. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

Frequently Asked Questions — Wolverine

What is a wolverine?

The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest land-dwelling member of the weasel family (Mustelidae). Stocky and powerfully built, it resembles a small bear but is a mustelid, and is known for its strength, stamina, and ability to survive in harsh northern environments.

Where do wolverines live?

Wolverines live in the boreal forests, taiga, and tundra of the Northern Hemisphere, across parts of northern Europe, Asia, and North America. They favour cold, remote regions with reliable snow cover and large undisturbed areas to roam.

What do wolverines eat?

Wolverines are opportunistic carnivores and scavengers. They hunt smaller animals and, especially in winter, feed heavily on carrion, including carcasses left by other predators. Powerful jaws let them feed on frozen meat and bone, and they may cache food for later.

Are wolverines dangerous to people?

Wolverines are shy and avoid people, and encounters are rare given how remote their habitat is. They have a reputation for fierceness in defending food, but they are not a meaningful threat to humans. Like all wildlife, they should be observed from a distance.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — Gulo gulo (wolverine) — University of Michigan species account
ReferenceBritannica — Wolverine — Editor-reviewed encyclopedia entry
Wildlife referenceIUCN Red List of Threatened Species — Authoritative source for current conservation status