Only 300 Wolverine animals left in Continental America
I know this isn't quite sports related, but the Wolverine is our namesake. Sadly, people are hunting these animals and poisoning them. It's about time that we call them an endangered species, because it's getting ridiculous. These animals are really quite amazing, and are probably the toughest animal pound for pound on the planet.
http://news.mongabay.com/2011/1204-hance_wolverines.html
But there is some good news from this article, that proves just how tough and durable the wolverine is. There are about 30 of them in the rocky mountains, that appear to be thriving in that element. That being said, i wish the University would work on getting the wolverine put on the endangered species list in America. Not only that, but it is the state animal of Michigan.
December 6th, 2011 at 8:04 AM ^
Why don't you actually read what groups like the National Academy of Sciences say about climate change
December 6th, 2011 at 8:05 AM ^
I'm sure your grandkids will be overjoyed to know that on one of the biggest threats to our planet, the best you could do was make smarmy comments about Al Gore
December 5th, 2011 at 11:28 PM ^
Wolverines are pretty tough, but they don't hold a candle to the Honey Badger in that regard.
December 5th, 2011 at 11:35 PM ^
The Wolverine would easily kill a honey badger. National Geographic lists the Wolverine as the 4th most deadly land animal on the planet.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:59 AM ^
What's ahead of the wolverine?
December 5th, 2011 at 11:57 PM ^
How tough can it be?
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<br>It's not even as tough as the sugar pie tiger...
December 6th, 2011 at 12:02 AM ^
As someone with honey in my name, I take offense to this.
But, yeah, a wolverine would crush a honey badger.
December 5th, 2011 at 11:33 PM ^
Try totem!
December 5th, 2011 at 11:36 PM ^
The article is a bit alarmist, I think, because according to this site:
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/9561/0
The wolverine in general is doing well, although the population trend is decreasing. Granted there doesn't appear to be many in the lower 48 anymore, and people poisoning them is rather stupid.
Lastly:
"The study confirmed an incident of a wolverine challenging a grizzly bear ten times its size over an elk carcass. "
F yeah.
December 5th, 2011 at 11:39 PM ^
Put that in my signature.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:16 AM ^
So the bear had elk for dinner and wolverine for dessert. Sounds tasty.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:29 AM ^
From "The Wolverine Way", it sounds like there need to be about 300 to 500 in order to sustain a wolverine population, so in that regard it is okay but if the numbers get any lower, we may not have any in the continental US.
December 5th, 2011 at 11:49 PM ^
"What's it gona take to get these Wolverines bangin"
December 6th, 2011 at 10:48 AM ^
Sugar Bowl win out to do it.
December 6th, 2011 at 10:52 AM ^
to dig up Barry White?
December 5th, 2011 at 11:52 PM ^
I would die a happy man if I were mauled by a Wolverine.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:02 AM ^
don't care.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:20 AM ^
The wolverine is NOT the state mammal/animal of Michigan. The official state mammal is the white-tailed dear, and there are plenty of those to be found within the state. Just drive any of the interstates and count them laying on the shoulder, or at least what's left of them after they've been hit a few times.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:27 AM ^
As I said during my drive from Iowa City to Ann Arbor for Thanksgiving, dead deer are to I-94 in Michigan as live alligators are to I-75 in Florida.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:28 AM ^
I was hiking with my friend and her dog in the mountains outside of Anchorage, AK and all of a sudden the dog freaked out. It was whining and it would not budge, and then it shrunk down and peed. Way out in the distance, about half a mile away, a wolverine was running across a snowfield on its way over into the next valley. I was so pleased to not only see one, but know that at that distance, going in the opposite direction, it is scary enough to make a 50 pound dog freeze up and pee. Hail the fearsome wolverine.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:32 AM ^
Michigan should reintroduce the Wolverine to the Upper Penisula. I think it would be a cool thing to do and I don't give a fuck if they kill every other animal in the wild because they are FUCKING WOVERINES!
December 6th, 2011 at 12:50 AM ^
December 6th, 2011 at 1:34 AM ^
Well, I will admit that I couldn't watch the Michigan-Ohio State game again this year because it was too nice of a day and I went to the zoo. One of the wolverines was fairly active.
http://michiganexposures.blogspot.com/2011/11/and-wolverines.html
December 6th, 2011 at 9:38 AM ^
instead of watching the game? I wish I had that choice. And I would choose differently.
December 6th, 2011 at 10:01 AM ^
I followed the game and listened to most of it on the radio. Just couldn't bring myself to stay couped up inside when there's photographing to be done. Now if I had tickets to the game and was at the game, that would be different, as I would be photographing...
December 6th, 2011 at 2:02 AM ^
You can help track them in Mt. Hood National Forest with Cascadia Wild (an environmental nonprofit). Information collected will help determine their territory, numbers, habitat, etc. This information will assist in their protection. There have been several confirmed citing of wolverines in the State of Oregon over the last couple of years.
Here's the link . . .
http://www.cascadiawild.org/Programs/WolverineTrackingProject.htm
December 6th, 2011 at 2:24 AM ^
Fun Fact: Michigan's mascot is the Wolverines not because there are Wolverines in the state of Michigan, but the fact that George Custer (Custer's Last Stand) led a cavalry regiment in the Civil War from Michigan nicknamed the "Wolverines".
December 6th, 2011 at 2:50 AM ^
MOAR WOLVERINES, DAMNIT!
December 6th, 2011 at 5:39 AM ^
There was one spotted a few years ago in Michigan. They are still around.
December 6th, 2011 at 7:42 AM ^
I find that hard to believe considering I can purchase a wolverine trapping tag in Canada or Alaska with no restrictions. They are commonly seen and trapped. The DNR's are run by bleeding hearts, if the wolverine should be endangered, I wouldn't be able to purchase a tag.
This sounds to me like the nonsense about polar bear populations declining, when in 2007 according the to the Canadian Fish and Game service, more polar bear were counted than any previous year.
December 6th, 2011 at 7:57 AM ^
just don't put one on the sidelines in the Big House.
December 6th, 2011 at 9:28 AM ^
I'm going to have nightmares about how hideous a mascot we could get... good Lord. That piggish M-blazened nose is way too much.
December 6th, 2011 at 8:28 AM ^
I knew there were none left in Michigan, or so it's said, but I never realized there was so few left in the continental United States...
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<br>Would anyone be in support of the University getting a habitat on campus, kind of like Mike the Tiger at LSU? I think that would be pretty cool, and a university as great as ours could really do wonders for a conservation effort.
December 6th, 2011 at 8:47 AM ^
was probably never native to Michigan - preferring much further northern and western habitats. One was sighted in Michigan in 2004 by several hunters, but this animal was probably an escapee from someone's private collection. The last previous sighting to that in Michigan was over 200 years previous. Even then, scientists debate whether the wolverine actually bred in the state due to the wolverine's tendency to wander vast distances. There is not strong evidence that points to wolverines ever being common in Michigan. But they certainly make a great team mascot!
December 6th, 2011 at 9:04 AM ^
Wolverines are still alive. Thats another win for the Wolverines in my book
December 6th, 2011 at 9:35 AM ^
With so few in the lower 48 it is hard to believe that the Wolverine is not given greater protection and that we don't hear more about conservation efforts.
December 6th, 2011 at 9:41 AM ^
From the article:
wolverines are specialists at exploiting a cold, unproductive niche.
That would sound like the metro-Detroit and Ann Arbor area about now, and for the next 3 months. Making the "Wolverine" an apt mascot name for Michigan.
December 6th, 2011 at 10:16 AM ^
There's probably 300 wolverines just in my backyard up here in Alaska!
December 6th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^
Yeah, I was wondering about that. Isn't Alaska part of the "Continental U.S.?" It's in the same continent.
December 6th, 2011 at 11:00 AM ^
December 6th, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^
How tough are you as a land mammal when the colder it is, the better, and NOT so you can hide out sleeping all winter? You prefer to be out in cold, snowy, and forbidding. That is tough.