The largest land-dwelling member of the weasel family, a solitary, muscular carnivore of the far north. It has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of all proportion to its size.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
It has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of all proportion to its size.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inNorth America, Europe, Asia, Arctic
HabitatForest, Polar, Mountains
ColoursBrown, Black
SizeMedium
Length65–105 cm
Weight9–30 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for7–12 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Northern forests and tundra of the Northern Hemisphere: Canada, Alaska, the Nordic countries, Russia and Siberia.
Did you know
Can kill prey many times larger than itself.
Its pungent scent glands earned it the nicknames “skunk bear” and “nasty cat”.
Often confused with
On these lists
Sources
Last reviewed
Play
Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
