Glutton

glutton: see wolverine.

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Glutton 

(Gulo gulo), a predatory mammal of the family Mustelidae. The body length reaches 105 cm, and the tail length 23 cm. The height at the shoulders is as much as 45 cm, and the weight is 11–19 kg. The snout is somewhat extended, and the tail is bushy. The fur, which is thick, long, and coarse, ranges in color from light to dark brown. A wide ocherous stripe runs from the base of the tail along the sides of the body to the back of the head.

Gluttons are found in the taiga, the forest tundra, and, to a lesser extent, the tundra of Europe, Asia, and North America. They are solitary animals. Although carrion is preferred, gluttons prey on murids and ungulates and other wild game. They frequently steal hunters’ food supplies and animals caught in traps. Gluttons mate in summer and fall; the pregnancy has a latent period (delayed implantation). One to five young are born in March or April.

The glutton is a useful scavenger, destroying animal carcasses in the forest. The fur is highly valued by peoples in polar regions, since it does not freeze during cold weather. It is also used in flight suits for pilots and astronauts.

REFERENCE

Mlekopitaiushchie Sovetskogo Soiuza, vol. 2, part 1. Edited by V. G. Geptner and N. P. Naumov. Moscow, 1967.

IU. P. IAZAN