Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 79 KALAN BAUGHAN CM RUSSELL 1/2 T O TAXONOMISTS, HE'S GULO GULO, THE DOUBLE- GLUTTON, THE GLUTTONOUS GLUTTON. To the rest of us, he's the wolverine, the legendary ferocious predator of the northern hemisphere's sub-alpine regions. Wolverines live in Mon- tana, but only the most dedicated devotees will spot the solitary and elusive creature in the wild. e size of a large dog but shaped like a small bear, wolverines belong to the family Mustelidae (from the Latin word for "weasel"), and are related to weasels, skunks, badgers and otters. Vermont fur trader and diarist Daniel Harmon wrote in 1820, "e…wolverine, in shape and the color of the hair, greatly resembles the skunk." Wolverines are skunkley in another way as well. ey stink. eir anal glands are equipped with such polysyllabic chemical compounds as methylbutanoic acid (think smelly cheese), methyl- decanoic acid and phenylacetic acid, with which they mark territory and food. e food they mark consists of mainly carrion during the winter months, but their menu also includes seasonally available insects, berries, roots and bird eggs. e wolverine's appetite can compel the animal to depredate a compromised game animal many times its size. With powerful jaws and teeth the wolverine tears flesh from bone and crushes bone to bits. What's left of the carcass is defended to the death from other scavengers if it comes to that. e bold, audacious, malodorous mustelid has been called many names. At first citation in an English document dated 1574, it was woolvering. By 1619, the now-standard spelling wolverine ("one who behaves like a wolf ") appeared. Historical accounts of the animal include the term quick-hatch, the anglicization of its Cree name, and carcajou as the Canadian-French interpretation of its Algonquin title. e wolverine's reputation as a furry gormandizer inspired Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus to give it the Latin species name Gulo gulo, "double glutton," in 1758. W O LV E R I N E 400 13 th Street North | Great Falls, Montana | (406) 7271939 | cmrussell.org M A R C H 21‒2 3 , 2 019 e Russell is recognized as one of the most prestigious and fun Western art events, attracting collectors, artists, and patrons from around the country. It is set to impress once again, offering competitive bidding for significant works by highlyacclaimed historic and contemporary Western artists. Charles M. Russell (1864‒1926), Approach of White Men, 1897, oil on canvas, 24 ⅛ x 34 ⅛ inches Much more than a Western art exhibition and sale, e Russell is a Western art experience! Make plans to be part of the excitement this year!

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