The scientific name of the wolverine is interesting. _Gulo_, the Latin term for throat, no doubt has reference to the gluttonous habits of the animal. _Luscus_, also Latin, means one-eyed or, as some authors suggest, blind. This may refer to the small eyes, so deeply set as to be almost invisible at a little distance, or may date back to the first wolverine taken to Europe from Hudson Bay. This specimen was said to have lost one eye, and the name may have been derived from that. At any rate, the normal wolverine is neither one-eyed nor blind. The wide distribution of the wolverine provides an admirable example of what life zones mean. This same species lives at timberline in the high mountains of desert country and is also found at or near sea level far north of the Arctic Circle. It is well adapted to this environment, with exceptionally thick and heavy fur which does not mat easily with snow. In addition, during the season of greatest snowfall, the edges of the feet and toes grow stiff hairs which, in effect, act as small snowshoes, and enable the animal to travel with less effort. Food habits of the wolverine are far from selective. Heavy and clumsy in build, it is doubtful if many large game animals fall prey to this awkward hunter. However, it does not hesitate to drive larger predators away from their kills and appropriate them for itself. At such times it eats as much as it can, then hides the rest for future repasts. It will return to the site until the remains are completely devoured, even if they spoil in the meantime. Natural prey includes rodents which it can dig out of burrows, and such ground-nesting birds as it comes across in its travels. It is said to be one of the few successful predators of the porcupine. Thief, predator, and scavenger, the wolverine roams its isolated ranges feared by hunter and hunted alike. The wolverine is one of the few animals that seems to take malicious delight in harassing human beings. Though robbing of traps can be explained by hunger, theft and destruction of the traps themselves seems to represent deliberate and clever planning. So, too, does the breaking into and entering of isolated cabins with attendant pilferage of their contents. What cannot be eaten is either broken up and defiled or carried away and hidden. Marten _Martes americana_ (Latin: a marten ... America) Range: North America from Alaska through the greater part of Canada, thence through northwestern, United States and south into California, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. [Illustration: Habitat map] Habitat: Usually coniferous forests of the Canadian Life Zone up to the Alpine Zone.