Wolverines live in cold places in the far north of the world. In North America, they live mostly in Alaska and Canada. People rarely see them, because they are few and live in remote places.

Scientists use cameras that switch on by themselves to find wolverines.

A wolverine's large paws work like snowshoes on deep snow. It also has long, curved claws that help it climb.

A wolverine's fur is dark brown, with a lighter yellow stripe along each side. Frost does not build up on wolverine fur. So people in the Arctic have used it to trim the hoods of their coats.

Deep snow helps wolverines hunt animals much larger than themselves.

In winter, wolverines often eat the leftovers of moose and caribou that other animals left behind or that died naturally. Much of what a wolverine eats comes from animals that have already died.

A wolverine has a very good sense of smell.

A wolverine can be active at any time of day or night. It stays active all year.

A mother wolverine builds a den in the snow to give birth to her babies and feed them milk. Young wolverines are on their own by about five to six months old.

Words to know

• remote: far from towns
• claws: sharp toenails
• frost: ice on surfaces