In nature, there are many different animals. However, to know them all, as they say, in person, is almost impossible. In this article, we will talk about such an animal as wolverine: how this animal looks, where it lives and what it eats.
General information
First of all, it is necessary to mention the family to which this beast belongs. So, wolverine is a representative of marten. In this rather large group there are a lot of small animals, however, the category of medium and even large ones is represented by badgers, otters and, of course, wolverines. Knowing to which detachment the given animal belongs, it is still not worth drawing conclusions about its appearance. If other representatives look rather fragile and to some extent even elegant, then this cannot be said about Wolverine. It will also be interesting that only two species of this animal live on the territory of Russia: European Wolverine and East Siberian. The same name of the beast is familiar to most residents of the country, however, in Altai, the wolverine is called nothing more than a yeken.
The size
We go further, studying an animal such as wolverine. What the beast looks like, we will look a little lower, and now let's talk about its dimensions. Outwardly, it looks very much like a bear, but its size is significantly inferior to the clubfoot. Wolverine about the size of a German shepherd. As for the length of the body, it is from 70 to 105 centimeters. And this is without a tail, which is 18-23 cm. The height of the beast in the shoulders can reach 40 cm. The legs are no less massive: the length of the back foot without claws is about 14-16 cm. As for the weight, the numbers will also be quite - so impressive. The average weight category of this animal is 10-12 kg. However, by the autumn period, some individuals can “walk” up to 20 kilograms (which, in principle, is rare).
Appearance
So what kind of wolverine is she? What does this animal look like? Outwardly, it is quite massive: a heavy shaggy beast on short, but strong legs. His foot is wide, somewhat similar to a bear, but smaller. The tail is relatively short. However, due to the thick coat, it may seem voluminous and quite large. The head of the animal is small, the ears are neat, small.
What a fur coat!
Considering the description of the wolverine, it is impossible to ignore the wool of this representative of the animal kingdom. By its nature, it is coarse and rather long: the size of the hair can vary in the range from 150 to 250 mm (especially on a well-dressed tail). The fur is thick, lush, on the legs and head, as a rule, shorter. What does an animal wolverine look like, that is, its hair? The color scheme is represented mainly by dark brown color. However, the animal has two small light "harnesses" that go along the sides of the body, from head to rump, capturing the ass. Paws are covered with beautiful black and shiny wool. But there are individual characteristics regarding the color of various animals. So, there are individuals whose skin color is characterized by a beautiful transition from light to darker brown tones. Autumn molting of the Wolverine is hardly noticeable; it lasts a couple of months - from August to October. In the spring, the animal more actively discards the fur, this happens around March-April.
Appearances are deceptive…
Here she is - a wolverine. It looks like this beast - figured out. Perhaps after all that has been read, many will think that the animal is awkward and heavy in nature. However, such a conclusion cannot be called correct. The impressive size does not prevent him from being agile, strong and to some extent even flexible. Wolverine perfectly climbs trees, moves mainly in jumps and a little half-sided. This beast is very hardy: slowly, even in the deepest snow, it can cover more than a dozen kilometers.
Claws are the main weapon
Wolverine claws are also an important element. This beast needs them for hunting. In front of powerful paws with sharp hooked claws, even the wall of a wooden shed in which hunters harvest and store meat supplies cannot resist. What can we say about the soft tissues of the victim …
Food
Information about what the wolverine eats will be interesting. The beast can eat dead animals without problems, however, despite this, it is an excellent hunter. He can catch both a small hare and small representatives of ungulates. Excellent stamina allows him to chase even a deer for several days, getting the desired prey after a certain time. Most often this happens in the winter, when the wolverine can drive its prey into a snowdrift, while thanks to its feet it doesn’t fall into the snow itself, and there it’s already finished off the prey. Often situations arise when a wolverine tries to take food from another animal, and it should be noted that she succeeds not so rarely, but all thanks to her teeth and claws. It will also be interesting that this beast is considered an orderly of the forest and has gained bad fame among hunters, because it can independently rescue animals from the trap in order to feast on them.
About lifestyle
Wolverines themselves, loners who do not lead a settled lifestyle, wander all the time (the exception is the time to bring the offspring, then the animals make themselves “dwellings”, similar to the dens of bears, the tunnel in which can even reach 40 meters!). However, they never leave their territory, the area of which can reach 2000 square meters. The site is necessarily labeled to scare away other males, while females are always greeted by wolverines. Although this beast is a loner, there are situations when several wolverines (males), in order to drive large prey, can be combined into small groups of two or three individuals. Having done business, having bitten equally food, they disperse back and forth. Also, the beast does not have a single routine. Tired, he can even get enough sleep during the day, climbing into the hollow or just falling into the snow. Also, these animals like to relax under the branches of spruce or fir or in a small comfortable hole in the snow. Wolverine is most active at night or during twilight - before dawn. These animals live in the forests, but during the time of the hunger strike they can go into the forest-steppe or even in small plantings, which in other circumstances is unusual for this beast.
