I am absolutely shocked that it has taken us to Wild Fact #308 before we featured the incredible Wolverine. Just to be clear, I am not talking about the X-Men character although he does share some of the qualities of today’s animal. We will get into this in a second but first we need to find where our animal is hiding out. The real Wolverine can be found throughout the northern latitudes of North America, Europe and Asia. Although they are the largest member of the weasel family, I would be bold enough to say they are the Honey Badger of the north. Why?
Honey Badger of the North
Just like the ever popular badger, the Wolverine isn’t the largest animal in the world but that doesn’t stop them from being fearless. These animals are incredibly powerful and extremely tenacious……oh, and they have a taste for meat. They can easily dispatch smaller animals such as hares and rodents but occasionally they will take down larger animals such as Caribou and Moose. Heck, they have even been known to dig into an animals burrow and feast on the inhabitants. What an awful way to wake from a nice and relaxing slumber.
The Real X-Men Character
Much like the X-Men character, the real Wolverine is a solitary animal that requires a lot of room to roam. They will typically travel up to 24 kilometres (15 miles) in a day looking for their next meal. Okay, so you may be wondering about their claws….which is typicality the first thing you think of when you say the word Wolverine, thanks to Marvel Comics. Yes, the honey badger of the north has impressively large and sharp claws, which they use to capture their prey. These useful claws are also great for digging but unfortunately, they can’t extract their claws at will like the comic book character.
A Bear is No Match for a Wolverine
I know I keep going back to the aggressive and tenacious behaviour of the Wolverine but it is only because I am still amazed with this animal. I wasn’t kidding when I said these animals are fearless. My case in point comes straight from the Canadian Geographic website:
The small wolverine will even scare bears away and steal their food instead of going to get their own meal. When they hunt, they climb trees or tall rocks and boulders from which they jump onto their prey’s backs. If the wolverine can’t finish all the food, it sprays it with musk, like a skunk, and buries it for later.
– http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/kids/animal-facts/wolverine.asp
Yes, even black bears know better than to mess with this tenacious little weasel. My advice to you is to follow the bear and retreat if you happen to cross paths with this vicious animal of the north.
