Wolverine, <em>Gulo gulo luscus</em>, Resting Sites and Caching Behavior in the Boreal Forest

Abstract

Wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) caches and resting sites were examined in a study area in the boreal upland forests of northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia (approximately 57°N). Cache sites were in climax, or "overmature" stands of Black Spruce (Picea mariana) or mixed-wood of high complexity, dominated by conifers, and in which the Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera) component consisted of mostly dead or dying trees characteristic of such old growth in the boreal uplands. Sites offered relatively good visibility of the surrounding stand. Sites were never located in the dense to extremely dense homogenous spruce stands documented as being favored for travel by Wolverines in the study area. The better used cache complexes were accessed by numerous well-used trails made by the Wolverines themselves. Caches consisted of the bones, hide and hair of Moose (Alces alces) believed to have been killed by Grey Wolves (Canis lupus). Caches were classified as "simple caches" composed of a single feeding site and/or excavation and "cache complexes" involving one or more feeding "stations", latrines, resting sites, and climbing trees that may have been used as avenues of escape from competitors/predators. Resting sites were located atop the snow in relatively open locations that offered good visibility of the surroundings. Climax stands were implicated as being of importance to Wolverine caching behavior. Conservation implications include the detrimental effect on Wolverine populations likely to result from current timber harvesting practices in the boreal forest.

Effect of Reproductive Status on the Diet Composition of Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in Boreal Forests of Eastern Finland

“…Remains from hunter harvests formed the largest single food source for scavengers in Scandinavia (Wikenros 2011). Caching behaviour is a significant part of wolverine foraging ecology (Samelius et al 2002, Wright & Ernst 2004, and therefore wolverines benefit from carrion for a long time after carcasses are found. Thus, remains from moose hunting can benefit female wolverines during the breeding season.…”

Guidelines for Winter Recreation near Wolverine Dens in Montane Western North America

“…Tracks that are likely not associated with a den are those travelling a straight line through an area (Figure 11) or tracks feeding on an animal carcass. The presence of prey remains on the snow surface near an entrance as well as duration of use may distinguish food caches, which are more common, from a reproductive den (Wright & Ernst 2004;Glass et al 2022). While prey remains were not found at natal dens in Idaho (n = 2), they were present at maternal dens (n = 16; Copeland 1996).…”

Terrain Features and Architecture of Wolverine (Gulo gulo) Resting Burrows and Reproductive Dens on Arctic Tundra

“…To our knowledge, published descriptions of wolverine resting sites are limited to two sites in taiga, 26 sites in the alpine Rocky Mountains, and 10 sites on Arctic tundra (Magoun, 1985;Copeland, 1996;Wright and Ernst, 2004;Glass et al, 2021a). Both taiga sites consisted of beds on the snow surface at the base of large-diameter trees or stumps (Wright and Ernst, 2004), a type of taiga resting site that Scrafford and Boyce (2015) also mention. Alpine resting sites were also primarily surface beds, with only three occurring in snow burrows.…”