Wolverines
Wolverines are native to forested habitats and are rarely found near settled regions. A member of the weasel clan, the Wolverine has a weasel-like face but that is where the resemblance ends.
Its body is shaped more like that of a miniature, longhaired, bushy-tailed grizzly bear with the hump over the middle of the body rather than on the shoulders. The head is grey, the face and muzzle dark, and the broad, flat body is covered by long, coarse, dark brown fur with a broad band of brownish or yellowish white along the flank and base of the tail.
Built like a prizefighter, the Wolverine is muscular, aggressive, arrogant, and usually in a bad temper. Indeed, this surly beast has so much self-confidence and such a nasty disposition that even grizzly bears step aside to let him pass. Because of its looks, its attitude, and its unpleasant odor, the Wolverine is often called the “skunk bear.”
In fact, a Wolverine often appears on the scene of a kill to intimidate and drive much larger predators away. This is sometimes done out of pure nastiness, for he is quite an efficient hunter in his own right and does not have to resort to outright armed robbery to find something to eat. He actually seems to enjoy making a menacing advance on another predator, snarling and challenging the other to a fight over ownership of a kill. Make no mistake - he is an unholy terror in a fight. So much so that cougars, bears, and even packs of wolves will back off and flee rather than risk coming to grips with his vicious fangs and tearing claws. Female wolverines defending their young are more ferocious than female bears.
Wolverines resent serious competition within their hunting range. Purely on principle, they may set out to “revenge” themselves on the predator or human foolish enough to poach on “their” territory! They ingeniously vandalize and rob trap lines. Some have been known to detect even the most cleverly laid trap, spring it safely, eat the bait/animal caught in it, and then wreck the trap. They stage raids on the campsites of trappers to eat and destroy everything in sight. If a Wolverine is especially outraged, he may go so far as to ambush the intruder and settle accounts for the last time!
For additional information on Wolverines please see the Mystic Station Designs, LLC SkillSkape book entitled
“The Book of Creatures Volume One”
