Wolverine Facts for Kids
Gulo gulo · GOO-loh GOO-loh
A tough, shaggy mountain animal that lives in cold northern places.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ 20 to 66 lb9 to 30 kg1
- 📏 31 in to 4.3 ft78 cm to 1.3 m1 long
- 🎂 5 to 7 years5 to 7 years1
- 🍽️ plants and animals
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
A wolverine is a sturdy, furry animal with a bushy tail. It lives in the cold north, in the mountains and on open tundra. It eats many kinds of food.
Wolverines belong to the weasel family. They live in cold forests, tundra and open grassland in the north. A wolverine eats almost anything, from small eggs to big hoofed animals.
A wolverine looks a bit like a small bear with a long, bushy tail, but it belongs to the weasel family. It lives in the cold north, in mountain forests, on tundra and in open grassland, often near the tree line, where the trees stop growing. It eats many kinds of food, from small eggs to big hoofed animals. In the wild, a wolverine usually lives for several years.
How big is a wolverine?
Wolverine in numbers
| Length | 31 in to 4.3 ft78 cm to 1.3 m1head and body plus tail, added |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 20 to 66 lb9 to 30 kg1 |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | 5 to 7 years5 to 7 years1usually, in the wild |
| What it eats | anything from small eggs to big hoofed animals |
| Where it lives | cold mountain forests, tundra and open grassland in the far north |
| What kind | Mammals |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)2 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- A wolverine belongs to the weasel family.
- Its food runs from small eggs to big hoofed animals.
- It lives in cold forests and open tundra in the far north.
Compare the wolverine
Friends and neighbours
Gray wolf
Grizzly bear
MooseThree questions
Books about the wolverine, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the wolverine for free.
For teachers
Use this animal in class: its facts are on this page, and the cards print from it.
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Gulo gulo (wolverine), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, Wolverine (Q14334), checked 30 October 2026.