American Pine Marten

The American Pine Marten, or Martes americana, is a small, agile predator. They are about the size of a cat with a bushy tail that is about half the length of their body. A larger male Marten might be 20 inches long and weigh only 2-3 pounds. The Marten lives in forests around Canada and in the Northern half of the United States. The largest population of Martens in the contiguous United States is in and around Yellowstone National Park. Pine martens are extremely agile, nimble predators. Their strong claws and light body allow them to easily climb through the trees. They can jump squirrel-like from tree to tree, and if, as unlikely as it is, they do fall, their small body twists to land on their feet. Because of this, they can land on their feet from up to 20 yards up. pine Martens mark trails on trees using their scent glands. The pine Marten is one of the only predators that would have a chance to catch a squirrel in the trees, however Martens find most of their prey on the ground. Because the forests they live in don’t have much prey, these omnivores will eat almost anything, including red squirrels, mice, voles, shrews, frogs, fruit, birds, rabbits, and insects. American pine martens build dens in small empty ground or tree hollows leftover from other animals. Martens are usually solitary, except for mating and kit-rearing. A female pine marten will have about 2-3 kits around April, who will mature at around 2 years old and live for about 10 years. Pine martens are excellent swimmers.

There aren’t many threats to the pine Marten, but the ones they do have include humans, habitat loss, and hunting for their pelts. Despite these threats, the pine Martens' numbers have managed to stay pretty level. There have been some habitat loss and fragmentation, but thankfully the pine Marten still lives in most of their original habitat. In some places there have been local population drops and local extinctions, but pine Martens have managed to come back where they are threatened, with help. Another problem facing the pine Marten is hunting. There is a lot of demand for the pine Marten's pelts, so hunting for them is another major problem. Another reason they are endangered are the forest fires and deforestation facing the trees they call home. Regardless of these many threats, the American pine Marten is not even really considered endangered and is ranked least concern, though their population is decreasing.