THE WOLVERINE AND SKUNK 
31 
The Wolverine, or Carcajou , 1 is one of the 
most remarkable animals in North America. 
It is about the size of a full-grown bull-dog, has 
a ravenous appetite, great strength, a fierce tem- 
per, and the combined cunning of many genera- 
tions of criminals. It is the greatest thief 
amongst animals, and is such a greedy feeder 
that it is known to many as the Glutton. It will 
follow a trapper’s “line” of marten traps, for 
miles, destroy every animal it finds in them, 
COMMON SKUNK. 
devour baits, and sometimes steal the traps 
also. 
It breaks open caches, raids cabins, and sys- 
tematically destroys everything it encounters. 
It is the only animal living which maliciously 
and deliberately destroys property, and soils 
food which it can neither eat nor carry away. 
It steals articles which it cannot possibly use, 
and more than once has been known to strip 
a cabin of nearly its entire contents. 
In form this animal resembles a cross between 
a badger and a bear. In Wyoming it is called 
1 Gu'lo lus' cus. 
the Skunk-Bear, and in Washington the Indians 
call it the Mountain Devil. It inhabits the 
northern Cascades and the Rocky Mountain 
region of the United States as far south as Great 
Salt Lake, and the whole of arctic and subarctic 
America to the northern limit of trees. It is 
especially abundant on the Kuskowim River, 
Alaska. Its length is 32 x 10 inches. 
The Skunks form a large group, widely dis- 
tributed, but all the species, however much they 
LITTLE SPOTTED SKUNK. 
differ in size or color, are arranged in three 
genera. 
The Common Skunk , 1 of which nine species 
are recognized, is very well known, chiefly be- 
cause of its powerful odor, its wide distribution, 
and its very conspicuous jet-black color, divided 
on the back by one or two broad bands of 
white. 
This type of skunk is practically confined to 
the United States and Mexico, and is most 
abundant in the North. The very offensive 
fluid which constitutes its defence against all 
1 Meph'i-tis. 
