[That headline is from the Wildlife Conservation Society press release, printed as is. And why do Wolverines need refrigerators? The climate is getting warmer of course. – Anthony]
Will insects and bacteria consume more of the wolverine’s food if the climate warms?
Wolverines live in harsh conditions; they range over large areas of cold mountainous low-productivity habitat with persistent snow. The paper suggests wolverines take advantage of the crevices and boulders of the mountainous terrain, as well as the snow cover to cache and “refrigerate” food sources such as elk, caribou, moose and mountain goat carrion, ground squirrels and other food collected during more plentiful times of year. These cold, structured chambers provide protection of the food supply from scavengers, insects and bacteria. In addition, the refrigerated caches increase the predictability of available food resources, reduce the energy spent by females searching for food while in lactation phase, and decrease the time mothers spend away from cubs.
The paper appears in the current edition of the Journal of Mammalogy and was co-authored by Robert M. Inman of WCS, Audrey J. Magoun of Wildlife Research and Management, Jens Persson of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Jenny Mattisson of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research.
“People don’t normally think of insects and microbes as being in competition for food with wolverines,” said lead author Robert Inman of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s North America Program. “But in fact, bacteria will devour an unprotected food source if that source is available.”
Through an extensive literary review, the authors noted that wolverine reproduction is confined to a brief period of the year, and the lactation phase in females (February through April) corresponds to a period of low availability of food resources. Wolverines, which are opportunistic foragers, have adapted by amassing food caches during the preceding winter months when food is more readily available. Without the cached food supply or an unforeseen alternative (such as a winter-killed ungulate), early litter loss occurs.
Inman said, “Understanding why and how wolverines exist where they do and the various adaptations they have evolved to eke out a living will better inform population management strategies and conservation of the species.”
Climate change will play a key role in management planning for the conservation of wolverines, the authors say.
In a study published in 2010, wolverine biologists demonstrated a relationship between the areas where wolverines exist (their distribution) and persistent snow cover. The first theory advanced was that wolverines must have deep snow available in springtime so that they can give birth to their small cubs in a warm, secure den. The newly released study suggests that other factors related to climate and snow pack, such as competition for food, may also be involved in explaining the limits to wolverine distribution.
Because of their dependence on snow pack, wolverines were recently listed as warranted for protection under the Endangered Species Act due in large part to the threat of climate change reducing distribution and habitat connectivity. The authors say that a deeper understanding of how and why wolverines use snow pack the ways they do is critical to understanding how climate change will impact survival and reproductive rates.
“Shedding light on the specific mechanism of how climate will affect wolverines is important in order to know what to do to help them hold on,” said WCS’s North America Program Director, Jodi Hilty.
Inman and co-authors published a study in December of 2011 on the spatial ecology of wolverines in the Journal of Wildlife Management. This latest paper represents the second of several that will help to inform a conservation strategy for the species.
Soon to be requested: Air conditioners for polar bears, chilled water systems for Penguins, and snow machines for reindeer, because as we’ve been told, nature didn’t equip these species with adaptation genes /sarc
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How did this species of animal survive the MWP or is this a species that evolved during the Little Ice Age?
As wolverines have been around since, at least, the last glaciation I suggest their response to this would be: if you eff off and leave us alone we’ll be fine. Much like the polar bear, hunting has been the problem along with habitat incursion. As usual, absolutely nothing to do with globull warming.
One has to wonder whether the need for their refrigerators isn’t a direct result of the harsh climate, and if it become less harsh, the need for a refrigerator would disappear as food become more abundant.
I thought immature wolverines were called undergrads. Now I find I’ll have to refer to them as cubs.
O – H…
I’m rather guessing the wolverine will be just fine. In fact, it should be our battle cry when the
RussiansChineseNorth Koreans?!? Invade.Oh dear. The cute cuddly wolverines need help … just like the cute cuddly polar bears did.
If there is an animal with the personality to survive—at any cost—it’s a wolverine. If the
Polar Bear is the “Canadian Land Shark” these animals would be the Canadian Land
Barracuda …
.
This must be one of the most pointless articles I have ever read, talk about stating the obvious!
Like most articles of course you must read between the lines, which simply says; we need money for more research and by using the magic words”climate change”, low and behold, the money shall appear.
Soon to be requested: Air conditioners for polar bears, chilled water systems for Penguins, and snow machines for reindeer, because as we’ve been told, nature didn’t equip these species with adaptation genes /sarc
Tut, tut Anthony, just think of all the CO2 that will be released into the atmosphere, but hang on, there could then be more money released to carry out studies into ESIGW (Endangered Species Induced Global Warming) !!
What is needed is an ‘Insect and Bacteria Conservation Society’ so they can better manage the balance concerning the needs of both.
🙂
What little I’ve read about wolverines suggested that they were more opportunistic and hardier than the fragile creatures described in this article. Guess this goes to show that we really do need a static climate if any of these selected critters are to survive.
I love the mindset.
`today we are studying wolverines, the information we get is what we need to “better inform population management strategies and conservation of the species.”
There does not seem to be a shred of humility there to even consider that wild animals may not want or need a human created (with all its flaws) management and conservation strategy.
They havent done particularly well with the polar bears, the recent population anomaly is frightening, and it took only human created satelite and the population of penguins doubled.
etc etc etc
My history book suggests that nature has a damn good way of looking after itself with the biodiversity issue over the short celestial life span of the earth, some species die off, some are created (mutate over time), and some continue.
carpe diem !
Here is where most of their paper was ‘lifted’ (from cited reference):
http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/wolverine/75FR78030.pdf
“On July 8, 2008 we received a Notice of Intent to Sue from Earthjustice alleging violations of the Act in our March 11, 2008, 12-month finding. On September 30, 2008, Earthjustice filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court, District of Montana, seeking to set aside and remand the 12-month finding back to the Service for reconsideration. On March 6, 2009, the Service agreed to settle the case with Earthjustice by voluntarily remanding the 12-month finding and issuing a new 12-month finding by December 1, 2010. Following the settlement agreement, the court
dismissed the case on June 15, 2009, and ordered the Service to comply with the settlement agreement. On April 15, 2010, the Service published a Notice of Initiation of a 12-month finding for wolverines in the contiguous United States (75 FR 19591).”
I thought at first they were going to need refrigerators to live in, ‘cos it would be too warm outside!
This was the interesting bit to me.
If wolverines are “aware” of the value of refrigeration (regardless of how they became aware) it seems to take the intelligence of animals a step forward; and I’m amazed and pleased.
Something like crows using implements to dig food out of otherwise unreachable places.
And Man discovering a well-thrown rock shortened a hunt.
(But just wait until the wolverines begin contemplating climate change, the discipline which does not appear to require any great depth of knowledge, and absolutely no wisdom… Should be a shoo-in for them.)
“These cold, structured chambers provide protection of the food supply from scavengers”
Wolverines are scavengers living mainly on carrion (finding dead animals). This is what led to the stories of wolverines poaching trap-lines, and when a trapper was in the area the trapper became the hunted. Wolverines are second only to the honey-badger in the ‘I don’t back down form anything, get the [snip] away from my food’ department.
If you actually see a wolverine in the wild then you have a problem, more of a problem then if you see a bear. They don’t scare, they don’t run and they don’t back down and they don’t give up.
If the enviro-socialists are concerned about the wolverines and really want them to be more common then they should just instruct the roads department to chuck all road kill into the closest treed area. The wolverine lot would improve and it would bring a whole new level of commitment to the people providing road-side assistance for drivers.
Another “If we don’t bring them socialism and government benefits they will never survive.” study…
Seems even animals must be brought under the complete umbrella of socialism.
“they are tenacious predators with a taste for meat. Wolverines easily dispatch smaller prey, such as rabbits and rodents, but may even attack animals many times their size, such as caribou, if the prey appears to be weak or injured. These opportunistic eaters also feed on carrion—the corpses of larger mammals, such as elk, deer, and caribou. Such finds sustain them in winter when other prey may be thinner on the ground, though they have also been known to dig into burrows and eat hibernating mammals.”
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/wolverine/
“Such finds sustain them in winter when other prey may be thinner on the ground”
So it could be said that things are easier in the summer if you are a wolverine.
“Shedding light on the specific mechanism of how climate will affect wolverines is important in order to know what to do to help them hold on.”
You’re joshin’ me, ain’tcha Jodi! Jodi?? (Sound of tenacious claw-skritching from nearby refrigerated rock-face)
Has anyone else realized the great career opportunities that this global warming thing is going to open up? I just realized that there is going to be a huge opening for barbers… to shave all that unnecessary thick winter fur off the grizzly bears and wolves so they aren’t too warm in the mild/nonexistent winters we’re going to be having.
But can the wolverines get the windmill and solar panel installations through local zoning and environmental impact regulations to power those refridgerators?
Completely bullshit. Wolverines are scavengers. They can adapt to almost everything.
The biggest enemy is human.
“People don’t normally think of insects and microbes as being in competition for food with wolverines,” said lead author Robert Inman of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s North America Program. “But in fact, bacteria will devour an unprotected food source if that source is available.”
You mean insects and bacteria will devour dead meat laying out in the wild? Wow, am I glad he told me this. I never would’ve known.
Wolverines are incredibly ferocious predators, despite their size, From Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine
“The wolverine is a powerful and versatile predator and scavenger. Prey mainly consists of small to large-sized mammals and the wolverine has been recorded killing prey such as adult deer that are many times larger than itself. Prey species include porcupine, squirrel, beaver, marmot, rabbit, vole, mice, shrew, lemming, caribou, roe deer, white-tailed deer, mule deer, sheep, moose, and elk.[12] Smaller predators are occasionally preyed on, including martens, mink, foxes, canada lynx, weasels, Eurasian lynx,[13] and coyote and wolf pups. Wolverines often pursue live prey that is relatively easy to obtain, including animals caught in traps, newborn mammals and deer (including adult moose and elk) when they’re weakened by winter or immobilized by heavy snow. The diet is sometimes supplemented by bird’s eggs, birds (especially geese), roots, seeds, insect larvae and berries. A majority of the wolverine’s sustenance is derived from carrion, which they depend on almost exclusively in winter and early spring. Wolverines may find carrion themselves, feed on it after the predator is done feeding (especially wolf packs) or simply take it from another predator. Whether eating live prey or carrion, the wolverine’s feeding style appears voracious, leading to the nickname of “glutton” (also the basis of the scientific name). However, this feeding style is believed to be an adaptation to food that is scarcely encountered, especially in the winter.[14]
Armed with powerful jaws, sharp claws, and a thick hide,[15] wolverines, like most mustelids, are remarkably strong for their size. They may defend kills against larger or more numerous predators. There is at least one published account of a 12 pounds (5.4 kg) wolverine’s apparent attempt to steal a kill from a black bear (adult males weigh 400 to 500 pounds (180 to 230 kg). Unfortunately for the mustelid, the bear won what was ultimately a fatal contest.[16] Another account placed a polar bear of unknown age and weight together with a similar wolverine where the smaller, tenacious predator came out the victor.[17][18] Interestingly, while wolverines have dominated wolves in competitions over a carcass, some wolves become habituated to predating wolverines and, in such cases, wolves may lead to a complete absence of wolverines in a given area.[8]
Wolverines inhabiting the Old World (specifically, Fennoscandia) are more active hunters than their North American cousins.[19] This may be because competing predator populations in Eurasia are not as dense, making it more practical for the wolverine to hunt for itself than to wait for another animal to make a kill and then try to snatch it. They often feed on carrion left by wolves, so changes in the population of wolves may affect the population of wolverines.[20] Wolverines are also known on occasion to eat plant material.[21]”
I think they’ll be just fine!
even the lower latitudes of Canada are frozen in the time period in question. (feb to apr.).
this is more dumb alarmist agenda creation.
The polar bear thing aint workin’ out….time for a new mascot.
Four years ago a wolverine moved south into the Tahoe National Forest north of Truckee CA for the first California sighting in several decades