Wolverine to Vanish From U.S. Due to Warming?
Built for the cold, the fierce wolverine may retreat from the mainland U.S. due to global warming, a new study says.
Built for the cold, wolverines make their homes mostly in the northern forests and tundras of North America, Europe, and Asia. The carnivores are rarely found in places where temperatures get higher than 72 degrees F (22 degrees C).
During winter, the animals' thick, oily fur serves as insulation, while large, padded paws help them run across deep snow. In the spring, wolverines build dens in the lingering snowpack to shelter newborns.
Currently about 15,000 or more wolverines are believed to roam Canada, and an unknown number reside in Alaska. Only a few dozen to a few hundred are believed to live in the contiguous United States, almost all of them in the mountains of Wyoming, Idaho, Montana,
