> Thinking of animals, what's the largest member of the weasel family?And the answer: the wolverine.Members of the weasel family are called mustelids, and they have longtube-shaped bodies, short legs, and strong thick necks with small heads. Withtheir brown fur, big claws, and muscular bodies, wolverines are often mistakenfor bears, but they're actually large weasels. Other members of the weaselfamily include otters, ferrets, and badgers.Photo credit: public domain.Though they might belong to the weasel family,wolverines are fierce creatures. Known to take down animals like caribou, mooseand even grizzly bears — animals which are all over 20 times their size —wolverines have adapted to extremely cold climates and take prey where it can befound. Wolverine paws even expand in size with each step they take, spreadingtheir weight across the snow incredibly well and allowing for increasedmobility. Meanwhile, the non-retractable claws on each paw allow them to scalecliffs and peaks. All that said, it's clear to see why a superhero name camefrom these creatures. Nicknamed the "Hyenas of the North," wolverines are also evolutionarily equippedwith strong senses of smell and extremely sharp teeth. These two features allowthem to scavenge under the snow during the winter months and to consume frozenmeat. Meanwhile, wolverines are always on the move. They travel long distancesin search of food, sometimes as far as 15 miles in one day.Learn more about the hunting practices and life of wolverines below.