Meet the Marten

 

            It came to my attention the other day, after talking with classmates after a lecture, that many of my peers do not know what a pine marten is. I have experienced this surprise before, when describing the elusive fisher to friends, and was determined to enlighten them about a simply fascinating creature. The pine marten, or officially, American Marten (martes americana), is like the fisher, a member of the mustelid family. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that many people don't know what pine martens are. The truth is, it’s incredibly rare to see a marten, even more rare than fishers, their larger and chunkier counterparts. I myself became aware of these creatures through several British children books when I was younger, as pine martens are a bit better known and more common in the UK. My knowledge grew due to the fact my father was a biology teacher at the time and encouraged me to research them. 

            American martens are small, quick, lean members of the weasel family. They look a little bit like an adorable combination between a fox, squirrel, cat, and of course weasel. Though they have a sweet countenance, they are incredibly smart like other mustelids (think ferrets, otters, etc.) and have powerful little jaws and semi-retractable claws. Still, they are never aggressive towards humans unless threatened. They tend to be shy but incredibly curious. Many a hiker has been lucky enough to turn and find a marten staring at them from a tree branch or log.

            Martens generally live in spruce-fir forests or mixed hardwood-coniferous forest. Their big paws make them even better in deep Adirondack snow than fishers are. However, they are very much arboreal animals, like their primary source of prey, the red squirrel, so don't primarily travel on the ground. Martens, like some other mustelids, are omnivorous and will eat fruits and nuts as well as small animals (birds, amphibians, mammals, etc.). Martens have been seen most often in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks and travel solitarily, usually gathering with other martens only to mate. 

            The martens’ habitat brings to mind the threats global warming brings to the Adirondacks. These amazing animals are already rare to begin with, and a change in climate in the Adirondacks would shift the current ecosystems completely. It is predicted that the Adirondacks may be totally different in a couple hundred years, and the fir and spruce trees the martens call their home may be overtaken by deciduous trees. The red squirrels may move north. Will the American marten travel north as well? Will they be lost to the Adirondacks forever? It something to think about when considering the effects of global warming. Awareness of what kind of wildlife the human world is damaging is incredibly important. A start is to know what a marten is in the first place. And now you do.

I am happy to be able to share my favorite animal with you all. 

They really are wonderful little beasts.

Sources

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45531.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2010/10/climate-change-what-we-owe-the-pine-martin.html

Photos

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45531.html

http://www.wookmark.com/image/17300/pine-marten-white-mountain-national-forest-nh-flickr-photo-sharing

http://cwf-fcf.org/en/discover-wildlife/magazines/wild-classes/entries/2012/grade-7/pine-marten.html

http://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/FC_SierraNevadaWildlifeRisk/SNWR_SNFMIS.php