WOLVERINE 



Species of the Genus Gulo 



Common Wolverine. — Gulo luscus (Linnseus). Plate XI 

 As described above. Found from the Arctic Ocean and 

 Baffin Bay southward and from the Pacific to the Atlantic, 

 reaching the extreme northeastern United States, Wisconsin, 

 Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and down the Rocky- 

 Mountains into Utah and Colorado. 



Mount McKinley Wolverine. — Gulo hylceus Elliot. 



Coloration very dark. "Head, throat, sides of neck and 

 body, and base of tail chestnut; hind part of neck, back, 

 underparts, legs, and feet black; chest spotted or blotched 

 with white or orange, and orange spot on anal region; nose 

 darker chestnut than head; tail, except at base, black." 

 (Elliot) Found in the region of Mount McKinley, Alaska. 



Southern Wolverine. — Gulo luteus Elliot. 



Rather paler in color than luscus but like it in color pattern. 

 Top of head and back of eyes pale gray; buff on sides, and 

 upper base of tail; black on nose, legs, feet, and most of tail; 

 chestnut on nape, lower back, and rump. Total length, 

 38 inches; tail vertebree, 8 inches; hind foot, 6.8 inches. 

 Found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California from 

 Tulare County north; limits of range unknown but reported 

 from Yakutat Bay, Alaska. 



Giilo auduboni Matschie. Taken in Newfoundland. 



Gulo hairdi Matschie. Taken at Fort Union, North Dakota. 



Gulo katschemakensis Matschie. Taken on the Kenai 



Peninsula, Alaska. 



Gulo niediecki Matschie. Taken at Dease Lake, British 



Columbia. 



The above four species are listed in Miller's North American 

 Recent Mammals. They all appear to be synonyms of Gulo 

 luscus since they are indistinguishable from that animal. 



The status of the Wolverines is not very satisfactory and the 

 genus calls for a revision. It is likely that all of the North 

 American Wolverines should be subspecies of one full species, 

 lusctis. 



The Wolverine has an unenviable reputation most of which 

 it has truly earned, but part of which has been imparted to it 

 by fanciful legend. Since it is not a common animal today in 

 regions which most of us may visit, we must turn to the 

 accounts of the trappers, traders, and explorers who know the 

 north country, or to the descriptions of the naturalists who 

 knew it before it disappeared from its early range. 



The size and powerful body of the Wolverine set it off from 

 the other carnivores for it is the largest of the Weasel family, 



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