Wolverines depend on persistent mountain snowpack for denning and food caching, making them among the most climate-vulnerable mammals in North America.
Wolverines are experiencing profound welfare impacts as their snow-dependent adaptations become mismatched to a warming world. Maternal females denied adequate snowpack cannot successfully raise kits. Food caching failures lead to starvation in lean seasons. Habitat fragmentation forces wolverines into unsuitable terrain where encounters with humans, roads, and traps increase. Trapping remains legal in parts of Canada and some US states, causing pain and distress. Wolverines captured in leg-hold traps may suffer for extended periods before dying or being killed. Climate-driven range contraction toward higher elevations creates isolated populations with reduced genetic diversity and resilience.