Have you seen the rarest mammal in the Sierra Nevada? I’m going to guess not. Do you know what it is?
(Remember, rare does not mean nonexistent. Polar bears and penguins are not “rare” in the Sierra Nevada – they aren’t there at all.)
Before I tell you the name of this beast, how many do you suppose there are? Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are pretty rare; there are only about 600 of them. There are a little more than 400 California condors throughout their range, and fewer in the Sierra. Let’s say there are at least 10% of those huge birds soaring above the Range of Light; that would put the number at 40.
Okay…enough of the guessing. The best estimate for the number of this rarest of animals (at least in the Sierra Nevada) is: one. Not one hundred. Not one dozen. One.
Such is the plight of the lonely wolverine who lives in the Tahoe National Forest.
He (it’s a male) has been seen on several occasions north of Highway 80, beginning in 2008. That sighting was made on a camera set up by Oregon State University graduate student Katie Moriarty. When she first saw the image, her reported response was, “That’s impossible! There is no way that I could have possibly documented a wolverine in the Tahoe National Forest.”
The previous Sierra Nevada sighting was in 1922.
Buddy, looking healthy and well fed.
Like most wolverines, Buddy (as he was named) is about three-feet long, weighs around thirty pounds, has a body that hugs the ground (which provides for a low center of gravity), has paws almost the size of a human hand (think of them as snowshoes), is totally impervious to the cold thanks to his amazing fur coat, and will eat darned near anything – alive or dead, bones and all. Wolverines have a keen sense of smell that allows them to find frozen carcasses buried in as much as twenty feet of snow. They also have an outsized attitude; wolverines have been known to bring down deer and even moose, and to face down grizzly bears over a carcass.
Their territory often includes 500 square miles, in which one male and two or three females reside. (No females have been sighted in the Tahoe National Forest, which no doubt makes Buddy one unhappy wolverine.) On ten-inch legs they can cover terrain in a way that would embarrass all but the fastest hikers. They can sustain four miles per hour uphill, downhill, and through deep snow. They routinely cover twenty miles a day. One was recorded climbing 4900 vertical feet in ninety minutes.
The Tahoe National Forest is well north of the John Muir Trail, so there is no need to look for Buddy during your thru-hike. Still, it’s kind of neat knowing that he is out there in the same mountains.
Good hiking, Ray
Great article today, Ray!
Thanks, Debra!
Awesome!!!!
Thanks, Coby!
Very, very cool.
Thanks, Karen!
Thanks for your articles Ray.
I was actually able to get this one right. I had the rare, wonderful opportunity to see a wolverine in the wild in Glacier national park during a hike out there. I certainly noticed it’s gnarly teeth!!
I doubt I will ever see one again.
Mike
That sounds amazing, Mike. They are far less rare in Glacier, but still a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Thanks for the comment.
Ray –
The timing of your post could not be any better. Last week I read a book about wolverines with a group of third graders who were really interested in this special animal. We learned about the use of traps to install radio transmitters to allow scientists a glimpse into the life of a wolverine. One amazing animal, M56, was tracked crossing the border of Colorado some years ago. Scientists are worried about how climate change and habitat destruction will affect the future of this special animal. It is certainly a good sign that Buddy was spotted in new territory. I cannot wait to share your information. The kids will be excited to “meet” this new friend.
What a great story, Pat! One thing I learned during my research is that they love the snow — the more the better. Keep up the terrific work with your students and thanks for the comment.
Great report. Remember just recently there was one male wolf in California and now there’s a pair with a litter!
Which makes it the second rarest mammal! Thanks for the comment, Arla.
Hi Ray – I was telling my friends who run Sagehen about this post and would like to share it with them – would that be okay? If so – what link should I and them? Many thanks! – Robie
Thanks, Robie, for the kind words. This should work: http://jmtbook.com/?p=2284.
[…] in February of this year I told you about the rarest mammal in the Sierra Nevada. That title belongs to Buddy, quite probably the only wolverine in the entire Sierra Nevada. The […]