Wolverine Population Assessment in Glacier National Park: Spring 2006 Progress Report

Copeland, Jeffrey; Yates, Richard

The Glacier National Park Wolverine Research Project just completed its third full year of study. During that time, 19 wolverines have been captured and instrumented providing over 3000 telemetry-location points. Reproductive den sites, documented for 2 adult females, occured on upper slopes in sparse timber beneath downed, woody debris. Females used 2-3 dens prior to weaning of kits. These dens represent nearly 50% of all wolverine dens ever found in the continental U.S. Four kits were captured and instrumented at den sites and monitored through their first summer to document 17 rendezvous sites: these occured primarily in boulder talus and cliff areas. Kits separated from their mother at 6-7 months-of-age in late September. Kit survival to adulthood has been low as evidenced by 3 of 4 kits dying during their first year. GPS collars were tesed at 4-hr, 2-hr, 30-min, and 5-min fix acquisition intervals providing insight into capabilities of documenting patterns and rates of movement, habitat use, and social interactions. GPS results from 2 males indicated movement rates averaging 2 km/hr; movements exceeding 10 km were common and generally interspersed with localization periods of approximately 20 hours; wolverine traverse the landscape apparently indifferent to topographic features. Glacier National Park wolverine home ranges averaged 496 square-km for males and 141 square-km for females. DNA analysis for 20 individuals suggest less genetic structure than expected with relatedness contained by 2 distinct genotypic groups within the study population.

Wolverine Population Assessment in Glacier National Park: Spring 2006 Progress Report

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