The Wolverine Foundation

A non-profit organization comprised of wildlife scientists with a common interest in the wolverine.

THE WOLVERINE FOUNDATION

Promoting Science-Based Management Of Wolverines Across Their Global Range

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Taxonomy

Wolverine, Gulo gulo.
Igarwood_276x183n 1758, Linnaeus assigned the Latin name, Gulo gulo, to the Eurasian wolverine. The Latin “gula” and “gulosus” translate to the English words “throat” and “gluttonous”, respectively. The North American form was previously thought to be a different species (Gulo luscus), but has since been lumped with its Old World counterpart. Degerbol (1935), and later works by Kurten and Rausch (1959) strongly suggested that Eurasian and North American populations of wolverine were conspecific. Recently, Tomasik and Cook (2005) and Frances (2008) further demonstrated this fact through molecular (mitochondrial DNA) work. Early work by Kurten and Rausch (1959) lumped all North American wolverine into a single race, G. gulo luscus. Heptner and Naumov (1974) delineated 3 subspecies of wolverine in Eurasia, while Hall (1981) listed 4 subspecies of wolverine throughout North America. More recent mtDNA analyses (Kyle and Strobeck 2001, Tomasik and Cook 2005, Frances 2008) seems to refute the occurrence of a unique subspecies on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska (thus potentially negating G. g. katschemakensis as a valid subspecies). Copeland and Whitman (2003) listed only two subspecies worldwide, with G. g. gulo the single Eurasian race and G. g. luscus occurring in North America.

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Literature Cited

Copeland, J.P. and J.S. Whitman. 2003. Wolverine (Gulo gulo). Pages 672-682 in Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management, and Economics. G.A. Feldhamer, B.C. Thompson, and J.A. Chapman, editors. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, Maryland USA.

Degerbol, M. 1935. Report of the mammals collected by the fifth Thule Expedition to Arctic North America; Zoology. I. Mammals. Report of the fifth Thule Expedition, 1921-1922. 2:1-67.

Frances, J. 2008. Spatial genetic structure and demographic history of wolverine in North America with an emphasis on northern peripheral populations. Unpublished MSc thesis. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA.

Hall, E.R. 1981. The Mammals of North America. Wiley-Interscience, New York. USA.

Heptner, V.G. and N.P. Naumov. 1974. Die Saugetiere der Sowjetunion. Volume 2. Seekuhe und Raubtiere. Jena, Fisher Verlag.

Kurten, B. and R.L. Rausch. 1959. Biometric comparisons between North American and European mammals. I. A comparison between Alaskan and Fennoscandian wolverine (Gulo gulo Linnaeus). Acta Arctica 11:1-21.

Kyle, C.J. and C. Strobeck. 2001. Genetic structure of North American wolverine (Gulo gulo) populations. Molecular Ecology 10:337-347.

Tomasik, E. and J.A. Cook. 2005. Mitochondrial phylogeography and conservation genetics of wolverine (Gulo gulo) in Northwestern North America. Journal of Mammalogy 86:386-396.

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Wolverine News

Address change

January 24, 2025

Please note that our address has changed. Our Executive Director, Rebecca Watters, recently resigned so we are moving our address, hopefully temporarily, back to Idaho until we find a new E.D. … [Read More...]

Wolverine Listed as Threatened Under the US Endangered Species Act

December 2, 2023

On November 29th, 2023, wolverines received protections under the US Endangered Species Act. Wolverines have been petitioned for listing under the act several times in the past, and have been denied … [Read More...]

Remembering a great wolverine fan

December 30, 2021

EO Wilson died this week at 92. The wolverine was one of his favorite animals, and his ecological theories contributed to how we think about them. Read more here: https://conta.cc/31cDZb1 … [Read More...]

Wolverine News – Fall 2019

December 3, 2019

Our fall 2019 newsletter is here. We consider the state of the US listing decision, welcome an intern, and prepare 35 pairs of skis to deliver to rangers in Mongolia. Read more here. … [Read More...]

Wolverine-Winter Recreation Final Report Available Now

December 15, 2017

The Wolverine Foundation has proudly supported the Wolverine-Winter Recreation Project, which looked at the effects of motorized and non-motorized backcountry recreation on wolverines. We're excited … [Read More...]

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