#Biodiversity150 number 3 of 150 Wolverine

3/150: I’m the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn’t very nice – Wolverine, 1982

Animalia: Chordata: Mammalia: Carnivora: Gulo: Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Wolverine (Gulo gulo) is an elusive and savage species. Across their Holarctic distribution, wolverines establish large home ranges (100-900 km2) and are found at low densities (one animal per 40-800 km2). Check out this rare footage of a baby wolverine in the wild

Wolverines have very sharp and strong teeth and their semi-retractable claws are used for digging, climbing, and scaring away predators. They also have large, furry paws that prevent them from sinking in the snow (like snowshoes!). In Canada, there are Eastern and Western populations of wolverines; the Eastern population (Quebec and Labrador) is currently endangered. Reductions to wolverine distributions began in the mid-19th century with the introduction of human settlements and the fur trade. Their thick, hydrophobic fur was highly sought after by hunters for its use in parkas. There are 10 specimens with barcodes on BOLD. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Wolverine in the snow as played by Hugh Jackman. A wolverine in the snow, played by him/herself. Photo credits: Pimkie goo.gl/0RetFH, Uusijani goo.gl/WTNxaD
A female wolverine sits on a rock while contemplating life, probably. Photo credit: Manfred Werner – Tsui goo.gl/h6fwrR

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID:  ABMC279-05

nucleotide sequence

ACCCTCTATCTTTTATTCGGCGCATGAGCCGGAATAGTAGGTACAGCCCTGAGCCTATTAATTCGCGCTGAATTGGGACAACCTGGTGCTCTGCTGGGAGATGACCAGATTTACAATGTAATTGTGACTGCCCATGCCTTCGTAATAATTTTCTTTATAGTGATACCCATCATGATTGGAGGTTTTGGGAACTGGTTAGTGCCCCTAATAATTGGTGCACCTGACATGGCATTCCCACGTATAAACAATATAAGCTTCTGGCTTCTACCCCCCTCCTTCCTTTTACTCTTAGCCTCCTCCATAGTAGAAGCAGGCGCGGGAACAGGATGAACTGTGTACCCTCCTCTAGCAGGAAATCTGGCACACGCAGGAGCATCTGTGGACCTAACAATCTTTTCCTTGCACCTGGCAGGTGTCTCATCCATCCTGGGGGCCATCAACTTTATTACAACTATTATTAACATGAAACCTCCTGCAATGTCACAATATCAAACCCCCCTGTTTGTATGATCCGTATTAATTACGGCCGTACTCTTACTCCTATCCCTACCAGTGCTAGCAGCCGGCATTACCATATTACTCACGGATCGAAATCTAAACACTACTTTCTTCGACCCTGCCGGAGGAGGAGATCCTATCTTGTACCAACATCTATTC

amino acid sequence

TLYLLFGAWAGMVGTALSLLIRAELGQPGALLGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMIGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSFLLLLASSMVEAGAGTGWTVYPPLAGNLAHAGASVDLTIFSLHLAGVSSILGAINFITTIINMKPPAMSQYQTPLFVWSVLITAVLLLLSLPVLAAGITMLLTDRNLNTTFFDPAGGGDPILYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAC8359

Title image: A wolverine licks its paw after eating a tasty meal.
Photo credit: NTNU, faculty of natural sciences and technology goo.gl/jmfrvy

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