Wolverine

A ferocious beast unique to the northern biomes of the Durolan continent, this, by comparison, small creature deserves a healthy amount of respect. Capable of bringing down a black bear, or running its larger cousins off kills, this small beast has a lot of power in its body. With jaws capable of crushing bone, puncturing chainmail, and a ferocity to put even the most drunken dwarven braserker to shame at its rage, this foul tempered mustalide, the largest of its family, is one best treated with respect and given a wide berth whenever possible. However one could be forgiven for not realizing the danger, they are just so small and cute and you just want to pet them! Ahem, however you should not do that. You should not, under any circumstances.

Montague Cuchilian Williamson Esq, during a lecture being given in the Kelethan Institute for Naturalist studies.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Though part of its taxonomical name may suggest it, there is no relation to any part of the Ursine family. In truth this name likely comes from how the wolverine looks, its short but very strong fame and its specific facial shape and structure could be construed as looking rather 'bear-like' by some. Wolverines are the largest of the mustalidae family that we are aware of occuring naturally on land, and are uniquely adapted creatures. With viciously strong jaws, likened to that of a bear trap, and a unique set of jaw muscles and tendons to work with, they are actually primarily scavengers, able to feed successfully off even carrion that has been frozen solid and buried for days under snow and ice in the middle of winter. This is not to say they are also not active hunters if that option is efficient and available to them, those jaws work just as well on live prey as they do on long dead frozen carrion. Wolverines thrive even in the deepest of winters because their thick pelt is made up of hydrophoic fur, insuring no ice or snow can stick to them for very long and insuring they don't get wet.

Like all mustalidae, wolverines have a potent scent, a musk to them. This both dissuades any predation and aids, presumably, in courtship and mating attempts, as well as marking one's territory. The wolverine is also a rather elongated animal that is low to the ground with a distinctly powerful build. Its five crampon like claws, strong grip and flat to flat foot stride allows it to easily climb over trees, steep cliffs and other obstructions.

Biological Traits

Wolverines have a uniquely adapted set of molars, some of them rotated giving them a unique ability to have serrated edges facing each other within their mouth, allowing them to saw and cut through even frozen carrion, making them adept at splitting and ripping it apart.

Genetics and Reproduction

Wolverines have a rather unique mating habit, portraying strangely social aspects for a rugged individualist animal. Males will typically have a home range that overlaps with anywhere from two to four females and during the mating season he will make the rounds, mating with them all. Once courted one time, he need not court a female again, they are bonded for life in some sense. However she will bear the young, giving birth in the early spring and will raise them more or less alone for the first eight months to a year. During that time she will wean them, a process that takes but a handful of weeks, and by one year of age these kits will be full grown. A female wolverine will birth a litter numbering anywhere from one to four kits, though 2-3 is thought to be the most common. These kits, after that first year of life, will occassionally stick together in pairs for a year or so learning to be adults, or alternatively seek out another adult wolverine (some think it likely to be the father, but we've no good way for confirming such a hypothesis) and will spend close to a year with them, learning both scavenging and hunting techniques, before parting ways amicably as an adult.

Growth Rate & Stages

Baby wolverines, referred to as 'kits' are 0-1 year old. Subadults are generally referred to as being 1-2 years of age, with the rest of the lifespan being adulthood. The average lifespan is estimated to be 8-12 years.

Ecology and Habitats

Wolverines live amongst the cold forests, tundras, hills and mountains in the northern regions of the world, specifically the continent of Durol. They are spread all about Suranth, and through the Crags into the the bordering edges of both Raechin and Depenwood.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Like most members of this family, Wolverines are obligate carnivores, needing meat to subsist and survive. They hunt/scavenge a wide variety of prey, seeming to have a complete lack of any sort of preference of favored prey or meal, willingly hunting or eating any carrion they find or prey item they can catch. Small to moderate mammals or birds, or even the occasional fish, crustcean or amphibian/reptile. Bird eggs, or even larger animals such as moose, elk or even bison, should they be so lucky as to stumble upon one greviously injured or ill and unable to defend itself.

Behaviour

Wolverine behavior, as described above in regards to reproduction and their young, is an anomaly in their behavioral pattern, an oddity outside the norm. They are normally quite territorial, known to pick fights with and actively chase other wolverines, lynx, bobcat, even mountain lions and black bears from their home range quite aggressively.

Additional Information

Domestication

Whilst not a domesticated animal, there have been rare occassions of the odd hunter or ranger ending up with a young wolverine they save from a trap or some such, which basically seems to bond to them for life, spending its life with and round that individual. These instances have been rare, but notable enough in number to warrant a mention here.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

They were and are still a favorite of fur trappers, for though they offer not much meat, their hydrophobic fur coat makes an excellent lining for winter clothing.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Though some stories culturally speak of wolverines in the hills of Rohara, or in the most northern regions of Valewyr, these are unsubstantiated reports with no hard specimens or proof of a breeding populace to back them. The only known continent that these animals live on is Durol, and they are mostly found spread throughout all of Suranth, the Tundra Realms seeming an ideal habitat, though they can be found in the northernmost regions of Suranth's neighbors, Depenwood and Raechin as well.

Average Intelligence

Wolverines, like many mustalidae, are surprisingly clever problem solvers, able to figure their way around or through any obstacles or obstructions on their desired paths of travel. Though it is not recommended as a general practice that anyone attempt, there are a few unique individuals, hunters and rangers, those of that ilk, whom have had such a wildlife companion and we have record from journal and memoir of the 'rudimentary creative and crafty brilliance' of these companions. Stories of finding ways into a local inn's food stores or cold storage, utilizing everything from buckets, barrels, random lengths of wood to leverage or climb their ways to windows.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Like most of the family of animals they are in, Wolverines do not have the greatest eye sight, relying far more heavily on their senses of smell and hearing.

Wolverine Base Stat Sheet

Scientific Name

Mustalidae Guro Ursi

Lifespan

8-12 years

Average Height

36-45 cms (1'2"-1'6") at the shoulder

Average Weight

Weights range from 7-27.5 kgs (15-61lbs) with males generally being heavier than females

Average Length

0.65-1.09 meters (2'4"-3'7")

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Wolverines are often a deep brown with sort of cream or yellowish markings around the shoulders or underbelly and lower jaw, however they can range from the browns into silvers or greys or even blacks, and the cream or yellow markings may be almost non-existent or even almost white.

Geographic Distribution

• Continent of Durol