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What's a wolverine? Michigan's mascot explained | CFP National Championship

The Wolverines will hope to feast on Washington in the national championship game, but what exactly is a wolverine?
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
A wolverine is seen at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, Mich., Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As the University of Michigan gets ready to take on the University of Washington in the College Football Playoff national championship, it's a battle of the Wolverines and the Huskies.

But what exactly is a wolverine? Here's what the National Wildlife Federation has to say, and no, it has nothing to do with the Marvel superhero.

A wolverine is the largest land-living species in the weasel family, donning nicknames such as woods devil, nasty cat and skunk bear. 

Wolverines are considered "ferocious predators" that feast mostly on mammals such as rabbits and rodents. It usually weighs between 17 and 40 pounds.

Due to climate change, it is estimated that within 30 years, 30% of the wolverine population will be gone in the lower 48 states. According to the U.S. National Park Service, there are only an estimated 300 remaining in the U.S., mostly living in the Rocky Mountain States.

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