The pine marten is a small mammal, about the size of a cat. It is related to the weasel, stoat and polecat. It has brown fur with a cream patch on its throat and chest, a long body, rounded ears and a bushy tail. These nocturnal creatures are mostly found in wooded areas at night. They are most active in the summertime and you might also spot them in the early morning or late evening. They like peanuts and will sometimes visit wildlife feeding stations. Baby pine martens are called kits. The pine marten facts and figures.
The pine marten is one of Britain’s rarest carnivores. They have now increased their range in Scotland, and now occur throughout the Highlands, N of the Central Belt but remains one of the rarest native mammals in Great Britain, with a total population of around 3-4,000.
The American pine marten, sometimes referred to as the pine marten, is rare in our region. Elusive and shy, you could go a lifetime without seeing a pine marten. Mammal enthusiast Nick Martin was determined to catch up with this most enigmatic little predator. A flight to Dublin, car hire, B&B and guide fees had culminated in this opportunity to see, one of Britain’s rarest mammals.
Recent abundance estimates suggest that the total population of pine marten in Ireland is approximately 2,700 individuals, making it Ireland’s rarest native mammal species. Being England’s rarest mammal is a stigma the pine marten has lived with for a long time but now there is reason to be cheerful as the Forestry Commission’s Grizedale Forest in Cumbria has a population which is doing well. The Pine Marten Project’s manager found a scat which helped to confirm the long-held view of mammal experts that this boreal animal does exist in England.
How vicious are pine martens?
A vicious predator, the pine marten kills lambs in spring. The pine marten kills outside unlike the fox. The pine marten punctures the lamb’s neck. This resembles a mink kill.
Pine martens live in woodland. They have bushy tails and yellow bibs. Their territories span 5-15 kilometres for females and more for males.
Pine martens exist across Europe to Russia. In Britain pine martens were persecuted but have recovered a bit. Humans threaten them most due to predator control and buildings used for dens.
Young pine martens are born in tree hollows or old nests. Litters contain 5-7 kittens born in spring. Pine martens clean out and line nests before birth.
In Scotland pine martens help red squirrels by preying more on invasive grey squirrels. But they also eat the rare capercaillie bird.
Martens eat voles, fruit, birds, insects and carrion. Their varied diet includes eggs, fungi and berries. Some martens eat fish. In captivity they live 15 years.
Are there pine martens in the USA?
American pine martens are native to Michigan. They disappeared in the late 1800s during extensive logging. By 1930s, they were thought extinct in Michigan. A remnant population persisted in the Huron Mountains in the Upper Peninsula. The last one was seen in 1939. Records show martens in both peninsulas, as far south as Allegan County. The last sighting in the Lower Peninsula was in 1911 near Lewiston.
The American Marten is a weasel widespread in Alaska, Canada, parts of the western United States, northern Minnesota, Upper Peninsula Michigan, and northeast Maine. In Alaska it’s the most widely trapped animal. It lives in forested areas and is arboreal. In Kobuk Valley, Alaska, they use spruce trees for travel. If needed they will come down and lumber to another area. They also swim if necessary.
Coloration includes brown fur with a creamy-orange throat patch and grayish belly. Darker paws. Large triangular ears. Males are larger. Semi-retractable claws unlike other mustelids.
Martens live throughout most of Alaska and Canada. Also parts of western United States, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Maine. They live in forested areas and are mostly arboreal. Known as “tree cats” for climbing ability.
Males defend territories of 2.6-7.8 square km. Females occupy smaller territories of about 2.6 square km. Males exclude other males but allow female territories inside theirs.
In places, range overlaps with Pacific marten. Martens live in suitable habitat in Washington, Oregon, California, and other western states. Summer is a great time to explore Delaware for wild edible plants and berries.
Is a pine marten a predator?
Changes to the natural landscape could put pine martens at threat, finds study. Poor management of forests and other natural landscapes are forcing native British predators, such as the pine marten into conflict with humans, a new report has found. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the pine marten is protected from a lot of human activity. It’s illegal to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take wild pine martens, destroy their shelters or sell them, without a licence.
The American (or pine) marten is a predator (meat eater) species that belongs to the weasel family. Because of logging, most of its wooded habitat was lost. Although pine martens are carnivores, they have a varied diet and will eat what is plentiful locally and easily accessible. This may include small mammals, fruit and berries, birds, eggs, insects and carrion.
Marten, any of several weasel-like carnivores of the genus Martes (family Mustelidae), found in Canada and parts of the United States and in the Old World from Europe to the Malay region. Martens are forest-dwelling and usually solitary. The omniverous pine marten is the UK’s second rarest apex predator (after the Wildcat). Their diet includes small mammals such as voles, birds, berries and eggs, insects and they are also efficient scavengers.
Marten have polygynous mating habits, usually breeding with more than one partner. The male establishes his territory and defends it against all other male incursion. Pine martens can leap up to four metres between tree branches and are adept are landing on their feet, unhurt, from heights of around 20 metres.
The pine marten is a small predator that belongs to the Mustelidae family. It can be found throughout Europe and parts of Asia. While many people believe that pine martens are strictly arboreal animals due to their name, they actually spend most of their time on the ground and only climb trees occasionally. Pine martens have several physical characteristics that make them well-suited for their environment. They have long bodies with short legs, which allows them to move easily through dense forest undergrowth. Their fur is thick and soft, ranging from pale yellow-brown to dark brown-black depending on the subspecies.
The difference in behaviour may be due to the fact that the red squirrel and pine marten have existed alongside each other for millennia, whereas the grey squirrels are a relatively recent introduced species and as such is ‘unaware’ of the pine marten as a predator. Whether or not the grey squirrel can ‘learn’ (over time) to recognise the scent of its predator remains to be seen.
Throughout the latter part of the 1800s, a combination of habitat loss from deforestation, the fur industry and predator control caused an unprecedented decrease in pine marten populations. By the late 90s, the species was close to extinction, thriving in only certain areas across the northern hemisphere. The pine marten population within Newfoundland was estimated to be below 300 mature individuals. Fortunately, pine martens are now protected and considered a threatened species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). As a result of this protection, the species’ population has expanded its range and size—now occupying new growth forests.
Both pine and beech martens can also sometimes be found using the dens of other animals, particularly badgers. Foxes are their natural predator, so they tend to avoid fox dens. If they do become aggressive it’s in the midst of trying to capture prey or defend themselves against a predator. Its habitat can be a pine forest, rocky hillside, or scrubland. It looks a lot like a weasel or a fisher. They are 1.5 – 2.2 feet long and weigh from 1 to 3 pounds as adults. Unfortunately, pine marten fur is used to make coats, hats, and stoles (wraps). The differences between pine martens and fisher cats include size, appearance, diet, predators, threats, behavior, habitat, reproduction, and lifespan.
The European pine marten’s fur is usually light to dark brown. It is short and coarse in the summer, growing longer and silkier during the winter. It has a cream- to yellow-coloured “bib” marking on its throat. Its body is up to 53 cm long, with a bushy tail of about 25 cm. It weighs around 1.5 kg; males are slightly larger than females. It has excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing.