Does grey wolf presence affect habitat selection of wolverines?

Scavengers can improve their foraging possibilities by associating with predators that provide food. Therefore, the presence of grey wolves (Canis lupus) may increase scavenging opportunities for wolverines (Gulo gulo). There have been many observations of wolverines utilizing wolf-killed moose (Alces alces), but quantitative information is lacking. We analysed wolverine and wolf habitat selection in eastern Finland, where the two species are sympatric. Generalized linear mixed-effect models were constructed to explain the location of wolverines in terms of their distance from settlements, the forest type and the presence of wolves. We found that wolverines favoured wolf presence, coniferous forests, mixed forests and mires; and avoided settlements, young forests and deciduous forests. These findings improve our understanding of wolverine habitat selection by demonstrating the importance of remote forest. areas, as well as the presence of other carnivore species, to wolverines in boreal forests in Finland.