It is estimated that there are fewer than wolverines left in the contiguous U. Conservation groups such as Defenders of Wildlife and the Wolverine Foundation have been hard at work since the s, when a number of nonprofits began suing the federal government to list wolverines on the ESA so they would receive protection. The Fish and Wildlife Service has consistently declined requests to classify wolverines as threatened or endangered.
Under the Obama Administration, the agency proposed wolverine protection in due to a changing climate, only to later decide that the resulting habitat changes were not sufficient to warrant action. In , U. District Court Judge Dana L. Wolverines hold a special place in many cultures. In traditional mythology of various Algonquian tribes , the wolverine Kuekuatsheu is known as a trickster and a thief. The University of Michigan has the wolverine as its mascot.
In the wild, real wolverines live up to their pop culture renown. They are relatively small — ranging from 24 to 40 pounds — yet they can prey on animals many times their own size due to their strength.
They resemble bears, but in reality, wolverines are the largest member of the weasel family. As solitary scavengers, wolverines cover a lot of ground in their pursuit of food, often 15 miles a day. Because of their nomadic movements, wolverines occupy many different habitats. Most wolverines in the lower 48 states today live in Washington, northern Idaho and Montana. Wolverines are fierce, long-distance hunters and scavengers, covering great distances in their search for carrion, including winter-killed deer, elk and mountain goats.
Shy of humans, their wide-ranging travel also makes it difficult for biologists to study them. Our citizen-run remote cameras have captured remarkable photos of wolverines. Female wolverines rely on deep snow for their dens, digging eight or more feet into the snow to provide warmth and shelter for kits.
Wolverines have thick, dark-brown fur with honey-brown stripes traveling along each side from the shoulders to the base of the tail. The decision on whether to list the wolverine is decades in the making. In , the U. A lawsuit filed by the conservation groups challenged that decision, and in a federal judge ruled that the agency did not follow the best available science in determining that reversal.
The two lawsuits are likely to be consolidated, and are set to be heard by U. We are seeking input on whether or not it is appropriate to prohibit incidental take of wolverine in the course of legal trapping activities directed at other species, if states have programs in place to minimize the chances of this occurring.
A day comment period, beginning February 4, , is being provided to allow the public and stakeholders an opportunity to comment on these proposals. During that time, we will also seek peer review from qualified members of the scientific community to ensure that our final decision is based on solid science. The Service will make a final determination a year from now on whether to add the wolverine to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife based on the best available science.
The Service will also decide whether or not it is prudent to designate critical habitat for the wolverine, and whether such a designation would be beneficial to this species given the threat to its habitat is climate change. Information on how to submit public comments, including information on the public meetings and hearings that we will hold on the proposed rulemakings is provided below.
Fish and Wildlife Service; N. Public Hearings: Three informational sessions and public hearing will be held on this proposed rule.
At all three locations the public informational session will run from PM to PM, followed by public speaker registration at PM, and then the public hearing for oral testimony from PM to PM.
December : After a thorough review of all the available science, the Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the contiguous United States population of wolverine should be protected under the Endangered Species Act ESA. However, the rulemaking to propose ESA protections for the wolverine will be delayed while we work on listing proposals for other species in greater need. The wolverine will be added to the list of candidates for ESA protection.
As a candidate species, the wolverine will not receive protection under the ESA; however, we will review its status annually and will continue to work with landowners and partners to implement voluntary conservation measures. The results of status review indicate that climate warming is the primary threat to wolverine. Our evaluation found that the effects of climate warming are serious but so far have not resulted in any detectable population effects to the species.
Because the threat of climate warming is not imminent, we will use our resources to work on listing determinations for species at greater risk of extinction. April The U. Fish and Wildlife Service has initiated a status review of the wolverine to determine whether the species warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act ESA.
The status review will examine potential wolverine populations in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The Service is seeking the latest scientific and commercial information on the status of the wolverine from the public, government agencies, tribes, industry and the scientific and conservation communities.
After gathering and analyzing this information, the Service will determine whether to propose adding the wolverine to the federal list of threatened and endangered species. Information will be received until May 17, Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the contiguous United States population of wolverine is not a listable entity under the Endangered Species Act and therefore not eligible for protection under the Act.
The Service continues to seek new information regarding the status of the wolverine and continues to support cooperative conservation efforts to benefit the species in its native range. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it is initiating a status review of the wolverine Gulo gulo luscus to determine whether the species wattants protection under the Endangered Species Act.
October Wolverine Petition "Not Substantial" - The Biodiversity Legal Foundation and five other organizations petitioned the Service to list the wolverine within the contiguous United States and designate critical habitat.
The Service determined that the petition and other currently available data is insufficient to determine wolverine distribution, habitat requirements, and whether there are threats to the continued existence of the wolverine.
Photo by Roy Anderson. View on Flickr. Access to a variety of food resources that vary with seasons. Physical and structural features e. Watch camera trap footage of one cheeky wolverine having a meal in our blog story, " A Wolverine's 15 Minutes of Fame ". Press Release June 5, : U. The document was converted to an electronic format using a scanner and an optical character recognition application. Service staff have made every effort to preserve the original format and text, but discrepancies may occur.
Note that the materials in the appendices are too extensive to include on this site. Please contact the petitioners if you have questions concerning the document, citations or appendices. The mission of the U.
Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American People. Last modified: January 06,
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