ANIMALS
North American Wolverines Listed As Threatened In The Contiguous US Due To Climate Change
wikipedia
The North American wolverine has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, due to the increasing effects of climate change, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday.
“Current and increasing impacts of climate change and associated habitat degradation and fragmentation are imperiling the North American wolverine,” FWS Pacific Regional Director Hugh Morrison said in a statement. “Based on the best available science, this listing determination will help to stem the long-term impact and enhance the viability of wolverines in the contiguous United States.”
According to the agency, it’s estimated there are only around 300 North American wolverines living in the contiguous United States. The species historical range has included Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
Today, they are primarily found in the northern Rocky Mountains and northern Cascade Mountains in the contiguous U.S. They are also found in Alaska, though that population is not considered threatened.
The Endangered Species Act in 1973 established protections for plants and animals listed as threatened or endangered.
In 2013, the agency proposed listing the North American wolverine in the contiguous U.S. as threatened, but never did. After a 2020 review of the wolverines status, the agency decided it wasn’t necessary to list the species. But in 2022, the District Court of Montana vacated that decision, requiring the wolverine to be reconsidered for listing under the ESA.
Since then, officials determined that the impacts of climate change have increased in the wolverine’s natural habitats.
The snow-adapted animals live in habitats with near-arctic conditions, restricting them mostly to higher elevations in the contiguous U.S. The territorial species requires deep snow to build their dens, and typically have large home ranges.
Climate changes are predicted to reduce wolverine habitat and range by 23 percent over the next 30 years and 63 percent over the next 75 years, the agency said. By 2045, maintenance of the contiguous U.S. wolverine population in the currently occupied area will likely require human intervention to facilitate genetic exchange.
TMX contributed to this article.
