- It can smell prey under 6 metres of snow and has a unique upper molar rotated 90 degrees, allowing it to tear frozen carcasses and crush bones.
- The wolverine is the largest member of the weasel family, and its scientific name Gulo gulo means “glutton”, reflecting its ability to eat huge amounts of food at once and return to a carcass many times.
- Wolverines have paws 10 cm wide and 9 cm long, which help them move through deep, loose snow.
- Wolverines mark territory and food caches with an extremely foul anal-gland secretion, earning the nickname “skunk bear”.
- Males patrol enormous areas (sometimes over 1,000 km²) and can travel dozens of kilometres a day through deep snow thanks to their broad paws.
The wolverine possesses thick dark fur with two light stripes along the sides, which protects it from frost and moisture; the cub is covered in soft and dense fur to retain heat. Strong curved claws help the species dig through snow, climb, and hold prey, while powerful legs allow it to run long distances across deep snow. The wolverine’s powerful jaws and teeth are capable of crushing even large bones.