The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is a muscular, solitary mammal known for its ferocity, which often exceeds its moderate size. As the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family (Mustelidae), it occupies remote, cold habitats across the Northern Hemisphere. While highly opportunistic in its feeding habits, the wolverine is categorized primarily as a carnivore, despite consuming a diverse range of foods when necessary.
Defining the Wolverine’s Diet Category
Wolverines belong to the mammalian order Carnivora, a grouping defined by physical and physiological traits adapted for a diet primarily consisting of animal matter. A true omnivore, by contrast, must consume both plant and animal material to meet its long-term metabolic and nutritional requirements. The wolverine’s body is not built to subsist on vegetation alone.
The wolverine’s hypercarnivorous diet is supported by its specialized dental structure. Its powerful jaws house sectorial carnassial teeth, designed to shear tough flesh and hide. The molars in the upper jaw are uniquely rotated 90 degrees inward, an adaptation that improves their efficiency for crushing frozen meat and bone. This morphology confirms the wolverine’s physiological reliance on a meat-based diet.
Predominant Prey and Scavenging Behavior
The bulk of the wolverine’s energy intake is derived from animal protein, solidifying its carnivorous classification. A significant portion of this diet comes from scavenging carrion, particularly during the harsh winter months when finding live prey is difficult. They primarily consume the remains of large ungulates, such as elk, moose, and caribou, often utilizing carcasses left behind by larger predators or animals that have died from natural causes.
The wolverine’s powerful jaw and neck muscles allow it to tear through and consume frozen flesh and bone, which is a necessary adaptation for surviving in frigid environments. Active hunting focuses on smaller prey, including rodents like voles and squirrels, snowshoe hares, and ground-nesting birds. While they occasionally kill large prey, sometimes up to five times their own size, this usually only occurs when the animal is weakened or incapacitated by deep snow.
Incidental Plant Consumption
The confusion about the wolverine’s diet often stems from its highly opportunistic nature, which includes the seasonal consumption of plant matter. Wolverines sometimes consume items like berries, roots, and bird eggs when meat sources are scarce or during the summer months. This non-meat consumption is supplemental behavior, not a biological necessity for survival.
These plant-based foods serve as a source of quick energy or hydration but do not form a required component of their long-term nutritional profile, distinguishing them from true omnivores. Plant matter is sometimes ingested incidentally, such as when consuming a small prey item that was feeding on vegetation. The wolverine’s primary survival strategy and physical adaptations are focused on obtaining and processing meat.