Monday, May 6, 2013

Another Endangered Mascot: Save the Wolverine! by Peter Reum


After reviewing the list of species proposed for designation as endangered, the one that struck me as most sad is the wolverine. The wolverine is the mascot of the University of Michigan.  Like the endangered red wolf or lobo, mascot of the University of New Mexico, the wolverine is extinct in the state of Michigan, despite the status it is accorded in Ann Arbor. The Wolverine is also a character in the Marvel Comic Universe, and is the most maverick and hard to know of their array of mutants.

So, the wolverine is somewhat of a loner, very much known for its fearless and pugilistic way of life, and is thought to be a nuisance to ranchers, farmers, and outdoors lovers. While we don't currently have wolverine roundups, the literature on the wolverine reveals that they thrived until the Thirties, when they were summarily ejected from their habitat throughout the parts of the country they had previously occupied. Given their reputation as the real life incarnation of the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil, it is not surprising that they are misunderstood. Left to themselves, they are another predator at the upper end of the food chain.



definitely not from Michigan
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The advocates for various species believed to be endangered initiated legal action with The US Government to enable designation of the wolverine by The US Fish and Wildlife Service as being endangered. The thinking on the part of wolverine advocates is that global warming has compromised the snowy habitat of wolverines in the lower 48, leading to reduction of their number to less than 300. Given their isolative nature, it is difficult to see how they will survive, unless new habitat is found. Some advocates have proposed new habitat in the treeless world above 12,000 feet in Colorado, and such mountain ranges as The Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, and the highest reaches of the Sierra Nevada.

According to a 2006 study done by the US Department of  Agriculture's National Forest Service, the wolverine habitat in the contiguous USA was never very high, but did extend to snowy areas of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, as well as California, and the intermountain West until 1930. Habitat as of 2005 was only in very isolated parts of Western Wyoming, Oregon, Northern Washington, Northwest Montana, and parts of Idaho.  The US Fish and Wildlife Service period for public comments on proposed endangered species designation for the wolverine ended May 4, 2013. This does not mean that the public cannot exercise influence in final decisions. Below, please find the information sheet published by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in February 2013.


US Fish and Wildlife Service-Fact Sheet - Wolverine

The wolverine is an iconic species of the American mountain west, inhabiting arctic, boreal, and alpine habitats in Alaska, western Canada, and the western contiguous United States. South of the Canadian border, wolverines are restricted to areas in high mountains, near the tree-line, where conditions are cold year-round and snow cover persists well into the month of May. Most wolverine habitat in the contiguous U.S. – more than 90 percent – is located on federally-owned land, with the remainder being state, private or tribally owned.

The wolverine is a resilient species, which was likely extirpated from the lower 48 states during the early 20th century and has re-established populations by moving down from Canada into the North Cascades Range of Washington and the Northern Rocky Mountains of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. In the past 50 years, the wolverine has made a remarkable recovery, with little human assistance. However, climate modeling indicates that Wolverines in the lower 48 States are threatened with extinction in the future due to the loss of snowpack in the wolverine’s snowy, high-elevation habitat.

Currently, wolverine populations occur within the North Cascades Range in Washington and the Northern Rockies of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and a small portion of Oregon (Wallowa Range). Populations once existed in the Sierra Nevada of California and the southern Rocky Mountains in the states of Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Only one individual wolverine is known to inhabit the Sierra Nevada and one in the southern Rocky Mountains. Both are thought to be recent migrants to these areas.

Deep, persistent spring snow is required for successful wolverine reproduction because female wolverines dig elaborate dens in the snow for their offspring. These den structures are thought to protect wolverine kits from predators as well as harsh alpine winters. The area is covered by deep persistent snow also defines wolverines’ year-round habitat, probably because they prefer the coldest areas they can find here in the southernmost part of their range

Scientific publications from multiple research groups predict a reduction of wolverine’s cold and snowy habitat and our best estimate is that wolverine habitat will be reduced by 31 percent by 2045 and 63 percent by 2085. As wolverine habitat is reduced, the Service expects the remaining habitat will become more fragmented, with distances growing between habitat “islands”. Evidence suggests this diminished and fragmented habitat will support fewer wolverines with reduced connectivity between populations.


Definitely not a mutant....


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What can we do to support this most majestic animal? Write your state's Fish and Wildlife Service if you live in the states mentioned in the fact sheet above, and let them know you support the protection of wolverine habitat. Second, contact your state's Congressional delegation and make your opinion count. Third, write the Governor of your state and share with him or her your concern for the wolverine, and for its long-term survival. This incredible animal deserves our advocacy and attention.



It's a wolverine!

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