Species: Martes americana = American marten. American marten (Martes americana) American marten 5

The American marten (Martes americana) is considered a member of the mustelidae family and is a carnivorous mammal. It differs from pine martens living in Europe in having larger paws and a lighter muzzle.

Description of the American marten

The American marten has a tail of good length, fluffy, it accounts for a third of the total length of the animal’s entire body, which ranges from 54 to 71 cm in males and from 49 to 60 cm in females. The weight of martens also varies from 0.5 to 1.5 kg.

Appearance

The similarity of this species of marten with others is easy to see: the body of the American marten is elongated, slender, the fur of a healthy individual is thick, sparkling, and brown. Also, animals of this species may have light brown or dark red fur. The neck below (the shirtfront) is yellowish, but the paws and tail are darker. The ears are small and rounded.

This is interesting! The nose protrudes sharply, pointed, and the narrow mouth contains 38 sharp teeth. Two dark stripes cross the muzzle vertically to the eyes.

The animal's claws are semi-extended and sharp - to move well along branches and tree trunks, but are crooked in shape. Large feet help to move on the snow cover, and the paws are short and have five toes. There is a noticeable similarity between American martens and c - the body structure allows you to see common features. Females are lighter and smaller in size than males.

Lifestyle, behavior

The American marten is a dexterous but cautious hunter, timid, avoids humans, and does not like open spaces. Escaping from large predators in trees, where it can quickly and deftly climb in case of danger. These martens are most active in the early morning hours, in the evening and at night. You can see these animals in splendid isolation almost all year round, with the exception of the mating season. Representatives of both sexes have their own territories, which they zealously defend from the encroachments of other representatives of their species.

Martens mark their “kingdom” with the help of secretions secreted from glands located on the abdomen and in the area of ​​the anus, leaving their scent marks on tree branches, stumps and other hills. Males can cover a territory of 8 km2, females - 2.5 km2. The area of ​​these “possessions” is influenced by the size of the individual, as well as the presence of necessary food, fallen trees, and other voids that are important for the residence of martens and the living creatures included in its diet.

This is interesting! It is noteworthy that the areas of males and females can intersect and partially overlap each other, but the territories of same-sex martens do not coincide with each other, since each male or female zealously defends their “lands” from the encroachments of another representative of their sex.

At the same time, the male can also make attempts to seize someone else’s territory in order to increase his hunting grounds. The marten makes a tour of its “possessions” approximately every decade.

Martens do not have a permanent home, but they can have more than a dozen shelters on their territory in the voids of fallen trees, hollows, burrows - in them martens can hide from bad weather or hide if necessary. Also interesting is the fact that these animals can lead both a sedentary and nomadic lifestyle, and most of the young animals roam, having just embarked on an independent path in life, probably to search for territories unoccupied by other individuals or in search of areas rich in food .

Since American martens are hermits, they hunt alone, quickly moving along branches at night or twilight and, when overtaking their potential food, they attack from behind in the back of the head, biting the spine. Martens have a well-developed hunting instinct, and moving along tree branches helps these predators go unnoticed by small animals searching for their food on the ground.

Range, habitats

These nimble carnivorous mammals They live mainly in old mixed and dark coniferous forests of Canada, Alaska, and the northern part of the USA. The habitat of American martens may become old coniferous forests from spruce, pine, others coniferous trees, and mixed forests from deciduous and coniferous trees, in which white pine, spruce, birch, maple and fir are found. These old forests attract martens with the abundance of fallen trees in which they prefer to roost. Currently, there is a tendency for American martens to populate young and mixed-age forests.

American marten diet

These predatory animals are provided by nature good qualities, helping them in hunting, since meat occupies a predominant place in their diet. Thus, at night, martens can successfully grab squirrels in nests, and in winter they have the opportunity to dig long tunnels under the snow in search of mouse-like rodents. Rabbits, chipmunks, partridges, frogs, other amphibians and reptiles, as well as fish and insects also serve as an excellent treat for them. Carrion and even fruits and vegetables can be included in the diet of these animals if there is insufficient animal food in the area of ​​residence. Martens will not refuse the eggs of birds, as well as their chicks, mushrooms, seeds and honey.

This is interesting! It should be said that these animals have an excellent appetite, absorbing about 150 g of food per day, but they can get by with less.

But it takes them a lot of effort to get the desired amount of food - martens can cover a distance of over 25 kilometers per day, making numerous jumps along tree branches and on the ground. And if the prey of martens is mainly active in the daytime, then in this case the marten can also change its mode and also hunt during the day. The marten can hide large prey in reserve.

Natural enemies

Natural enemies of the American marten can be larger predatory animals and birds. However, humans pose a great danger to the lives of these animals due to their influence on nature and hunting for fur.

Martens are small mammals, representatives of the large family of mustelids (or martens). These small animals are widespread in many areas. Where the marten lives, there are forests. But not all representatives of this family can be found in Russian open spaces.

Of the martens that live in America, the American marten itself and the ilka (fishing marten) are known. In wet tropical jungle Nilgiri harza is found in southern India, and Japanese sable is found in the forests of Japan and Korea.

There are four species of martens in Russia - pine and stone martens, kharza and sable. The most common of them is considered to be forest.

Let's dwell on it. Let's talk about where the marten lives, in what natural area.

Description

The marten is a small graceful animal, similar in size to an ordinary cat. It has a characteristic triangular small muzzle, protruding rounded ears, strong broad paws with sharp claws that help it move through the trees. The pine marten has a characteristic yellow spot on the chest and neck. Often this spot can take on the most bizarre shape. For this difference, the pine marten received a second name - yellow-hearted marten (or yellow-bellied marten).

The length of the marten's body is small and hardly more than 60 cm, while the animal has a rather long tail, which it uses as a balancer when jumping from tree to tree. The length of these flights-jumps can be about 4 meters (for the harza - up to 8 meters).

The marten has beautiful fur of different shades - from fawn to brown. In winter, the marten's fur coat is darker and thicker, and in summer, during the molting process, it becomes lighter and shorter. In the light, the animal has small black eyes that glow with reddish lights in the dark.

Marten habitat

This animal was extremely widespread from the coldest regions of Siberia to the mountains of Scotland and Ireland. To the south, its range even extended into the Transcaucasian and Mediterranean regions.

Where does the marten live in Russia today? The pine marten is found in forests with strong tall trees up to Ural mountains, as well as in Siberia and the Caucasus. Occasionally it can be found in city parks. In the steppes with forest belts Western Siberia The habitats of the pine marten intersect with the habitats of another marten - the sable.

The marten prefers the upper layers of both lowland and mountain forests. Where the marten lives there are many trees coniferous species, there are both fallen trunks and young forest, as well as edges and clearings. In monolithic rocky areas, where there is little vegetation and no sources, the marten cannot be found.

Animal habits

Most often, martens live alone. Males live in areas of about two and a half hectares, females occupy smaller territories. These animals do not create permanent homes and shelters; they form pairs only during the breeding season.

They are nocturnal. Having had its fill, during daylight hours the animal rests in old nests or hollows, preferring not to go down to the ground. The pine marten does not hibernate, but if cold weather sets in, it makes reserves in its shelter and waits out the bad weather. Can change the location of housing, moving from one to another.

The marten is an excellent hunter. Has excellent vision, smell and hearing. The marten, wandering in search of prey, can “master” vast territories; it deftly climbs trees, makes jumps, often grabbing prey on the fly, and easily makes its way along branches through the crown of trees. But the marten swims poorly, doing this only in extreme cases and reluctantly.

Like any predator, the marten is a cautious creature, but does not feel fear of humans. Sometimes, while hunting squirrels, it can penetrate into urban park areas. But the pine marten still tries not to live in close proximity to humans.

The lifespan of mustelids is about ten years in conditions wildlife.

What does a marten eat?

The marten is not particularly picky in its choice of food; its diet consists of rodents, birds, their eggs, as well as amphibians and insects, including grasshoppers. Hunting along the banks of reservoirs, this animal will catch fish and water rat. On occasion, he will feast on honeycombs with honey, extracting them from the hives of wild bees, as well as nuts, seeds and wild berries.

Such omnivorousness helps the marten survive when there is a “crop failure” for representatives of small fauna and there is no choice. But the Russian pine marten will still prefer to hunt squirrel, hare, hazel grouse, and wood grouse. But the taiga harza is for small deer (musk deer and roe deer).

The marten is a rather voracious animal. By raiding a chicken coop, she can strangle all the chickens, although she will only take one.

Reproduction and young

The marten's rut ​​occurs in the second half of summer; in March, the female brings up to five (occasionally up to seven) cubs. Baby martens are blind, deaf and hairless at birth. Only after a month do they begin to see clearly, and a little earlier they acquire their first coat. Soon the young animals begin to taste the meat that the female brings to them, and after two months the first acquaintance with the outside world takes place - the martens begin to climb trees and try to hunt.

By mid-to-late summer, the female begins her next rut, and the mother abandons her puppies. Some of them leave to explore new territories, others remain in place.

Marten hunting

IN Ancient Rus' marten was considered not just valuable prey, its skins were used as monetary unit and received the name "kuna". The most skilled hunters could long time chase the marten moving away from them along the treetops. Today such hunting masters cannot be found, although in some areas of Siberia and beyond the Urals - where the marten lives - it is still considered commercial species.

Hunting for marten, in particular sable, is subject to strict restrictions these days, since the number of all species of animals is limited in their range.

It is not advisable to hunt this animal with traps - the fur will be damaged. The best way Hunting with dogs is recognized. For example, the Evenks usually hunt sable with the help of their sled-like huskies.

Domestication of the marten

It is believed that puppies brought from the forest have difficulty taking root in captivity. Some species of mustelids are difficult to tame. Sometimes these animals require special conditions of detention. After all, this is an energetic, active animal. Where the marten likes to live, there should be trees, hidden loopholes, and hollows. A cage is not suitable for a growing animal; it needs a spacious enclosure in which all these signs of a free life will be present.

However, the marten can still be domesticated. By ensuring sufficiently comfortable maintenance in captivity, the life expectancy of the animal will double.

Other species of marten

Where the pine marten lives in Russia, you can also find other representatives of the mustelid family, namely stone marten, harza and sable.

The stone marten is similar in habits, lifestyle and diet to the forest marten, only slightly larger in size. She also has a spot on her chest, but white(hence the name - white-haired).

The peculiarity of the white-haired one is that this animal easily adapts to human proximity, without particularly suffering from it. economic activity, and can even live in attics and basements of stone houses. The white cape is considered a harmful animal because, in search of prey, it is capable of attacking small birds kept on farms and damaging wall insulation, cables and hoses.

Kharza is one of the largest mustelids. Where does this species of marten live? Kharza is found in the Ussuri taiga and the Amur region (and outside Russian borders - in India, China, Pakistan, Indochina and Indonesia). This is a rather large and whimsically colored animal.

Kharza can be easily recognized by the black color of the head, muzzle and white lower jaw. The body fur of the animal is of an original golden-brown color (sometimes they even say it has an orange tint), the tail and legs are dark. On the chest is a yellow spot common to many mustelids.

Kharza is considered one of the most powerful and agile predators on its territory; it has practically no natural enemies. While hunting, it causes damage to beneficial animals - musk deer, roe deer, raccoon dog, squirrel, and sable.

Unlike the marten, the marten is a social animal; it prefers to stay together and relax in families.

And of course, when talking about the marten, one cannot help but recall the owner of the most luxurious fur among the mustelids - the sable. This is one of the characteristic inhabitants of the Russian taiga - from the Urals to the Pacific coasts. The colors of sable skins vary from the darkest (and most valuable) to fawn and almost white. There is often a spot on the neck that does not extend below.

The entire economy of Siberia used to depend on the production of this fur-bearing animal. As a result, its numbers were greatly reduced, and for some time the sable was in danger of extinction. Nowadays, scientists and game managers have managed to bring the size of the sable population to an optimal level.

Like all martens, the sable is a strong and agile predator. However, unlike the pine marten, it prefers to stay closer to the ground. Rarely climbs to the tops of trees. This species of marten lives where cedar forests grow, there are dwarf trees, and along mountain rivers. Shelters are often found in low-lying tree hollows, holes under tree roots, and cracks in rock formations. It goes hunting not only at night, but also during the day.

The marten is a representative of the large mustelidae family. It is an agile and nimble predator, capable of easily overcoming various obstacles in pursuit of prey, climbing the upper canopy of the forest and climbing tree trunks. The marten animal is a valuable fur-bearing animal and has beautiful, noble fur from dark chestnut to brownish-yellow shades.

Animal marten: description

The marten is an animal with thick and soft fur that can be colored various shades Brown(dark brown, chestnut, brownish yellow). On the neck the marten has a yellow throat spot, round in shape. Paws are short, five-fingered. There are claws on the fingers. The muzzle is sharp. The ears are short, triangular, with a yellow stripe along the edge. The body is slender, squat, slightly elongated (from 45 cm to 58 cm). The tail is fluffy, long, reaches half of the marten’s body (from 16 cm to 28 cm in length). Body weight – from 800 g to 1.8 kg. Females are on average 30 percent lighter than males. The winter fur of the marten is much silkier and longer than the summer one, and the summer fur is tougher and shorter than the winter one.

Types of martens

In nature, there are several species of martens, each of which lives in its own geographical and climatic zones, spreading strictly within its own ranges.

• Martes americana - the American marten is included in the category of rare animals; in appearance it resembles a pine marten, a nocturnal predatory animal.
• Martes pennanti - silt occupies hollow trees, preferring to stick to coniferous forest plantations.
• Martes foina – the stone marten inhabits an extremely large range and is more often hunted for fur than other species.
• Martes martes - the pine marten is very common in Europe and Eurasia and is a source of high-quality fur.
• Martes gwatkinsii - the Nilgiri marten is a unique animal that occupies southern zones.
• Martes zibellina - sable is a long-time hunted animal, sometimes forming a hybrid species called kidus (a cross between marten and sable).
• Martes flavigula - harza belongs to the category of Asian inhabitants, occupying vast areas there.
• Martes melampus, the Japanese marten, is a source of fur throughout the main Japanese islands.

Marten habitats

The American marten is found throughout the American continent. Ilka occupies a niche in North American forests, found from the Appalachians (Western Virginia) to the Sierra Nevada (California). The stone marten inhabits the vast majority of the Eurasian continent - its habitat extends from the Himalayas and Mongolia to the Iberian Peninsula. Specially brought to Wisconsin (USA). The pine marten covers almost all European countries: it can be found from Western Siberia to the British Isles in the north and from Elbrus and the Caucasus to the Mediterranean in the south. Nilgiri marten inhabits southern part India, living in the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri hills. Sable is an inhabitant of the Russian taiga, which occupies the territory from Pacific Ocean to the Urals.

Kharza is found on the Korean Peninsula, China, Turkey, Iran, in the Himalayan foothills, Indochina, Hindustan, on the Malay Peninsula and on the Greater Sunda Islands. It is also widely represented in Pakistan, Nepal, Georgia, and Afghanistan. It is also found in Russia, occupying the Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories, Sikhote-Alin, the Ussuri River basin and the Amur region. The Japanese marten initially inhabits the 3 main islands of Japan - Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu. It also lives on Tsushima, Korea, and the islands of Sado and Hokkaido. In Russia, the main species of martens found are sable, pine marten, stone marten and harza.

Marten habits

The physique of a marten directly affects its habits: this animal can only move stealthily or spasmodically (while running). The flexible body of the marten works like an elastic spring, causing the fleeing animal to flash only for a moment in the gaps of the paws of coniferous trees. The marten prefers to stay in the middle and upper forest layers. She deftly climbs trees, climbing even upright trunks, which her rather sharp claws allow her to do.

The marten leads a predominantly diurnal lifestyle, hunting on the ground and spending the vast majority of its time in the trees. The marten makes its home in the hollows of trees up to 16 meters high or directly in their crown. The marten not only avoids humans, but hides from them. Leads settled life, without changing their favorite habitats even when there is a shortage of food. But occasionally it can wander behind squirrels, which periodically undertake mass migrations over long distances.

In the zone forest areas occupied by martens, there are two types of areas: migratory areas, where they visit occasionally, and daily hunting areas, where martens spend the most time. Summer and autumn time martens develop an exclusively small part of their hunting grounds, living for a long time in places with the greatest accumulation of food. In winter, these boundaries greatly expand due to a lack of food, and martens develop active fat routes. They most often visit places such as shelters and feeding areas, marking them with urine.

Where does the marten live?

The marten's entire way of life is connected with the forest. It is found in many forested areas where they grow different trees, however, he prefers spruce trees most of all, pine forests and coniferous plantations close to them. In the northern regions there are spruce-fir forests, in the southern regions there are spruce-broad-leaved forests, in the Caucasus region there are fir-beech forests.

For permanent habitat, the marten chooses cluttered areas of large forests with tall trees, old forests, which are mixed with medium-sized areas young teenager, with long edges, and areas of forest with undergrowth and clearings. But it can also settle in flat areas, in mountain forests, where it is found in the valleys of large streams and rivers. Some species of marten do not avoid rocky areas and placers. They try to stay away from human habitats, penetrating into settlements only through park areas. The only exception is the stone marten, which often settles right in cities and villages.

What does a marten eat?

Martens are omnivores, but most often they eat small mammals (such as voles and squirrels), birds and their eggs. They are distinguished by the fact that they are interested in rats as a subject of hunting, which cats try to avoid due to their large size. Martens do not disdain carrion, insects, snails, frogs, and reptiles. In autumn, martens readily feed on nuts, berries and fruits. At the end of summer and throughout the fall, martens store food in reserve, which will be useful to them during the cold season.

Area: Canada, North America.

Description: The American marten is a small, furry mammal with an elongated body. The tail is long and fluffy, making up one third of the animal's total length. The ears are small, rounded, and the nose is sharply protruding. The feet are short, with five toes on each foot. The claws are sharp, curved, adapted for climbing trees. The eyes are big. The fur is long and shiny. Males are heavy and larger than females.

Color: The fur is brown, with shades ranging from dark red to light brown. The muzzle and underside of the body are lighter in color, the paws and tail are dark brown or black, and the chest is patched with cream.

Size: males - 55-68 cm, females - 49-60 cm, tail 16-24 cm.

Weight: 500-1500 g.

Lifespan: up to 10-15 years.

Habitat: dark coniferous forests: mature coniferous forests of pine, spruce and other trees. Stands with a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees, including white pine, yellow birch, maple, fir and spruce.

Enemies: unknown, presumably owls and large carnivores.

Food: The diet of the American marten includes a variety of food: red squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, mice, voles, partridges and their eggs, fish, frogs, insects, honey, mushrooms, seeds. If food is scarce, the marten can eat almost anything that is edible, including plant matter and carrion.

Behavior: mainly a nocturnal mammal, but is also active during twilight (morning and evening), and often during the day.
The marten is very agile - it jumps from branch to branch in the trees, marking its paths of movement with the smell of its glands. Hunts alone. Well adapted to climbing trees, where it catches squirrels in their nests at night.
The marten kills its prey with a bite to the back of the head, breaking the cervical vertebrae and destroying the victim's spinal cord. In winter, martens dig a tunnel under the snow in search of mouse-like rodents.
The anal and abdominal scent glands are well developed and are characteristic of all representatives of the mustelid family.
Martens have a good appetite, they are very curious, which is why they sometimes get into trouble, for example, falling into traps and various traps.

Social structure: Male American martens are territorial: they defend their territory. Animals walk around their territory every 8-10 days. Neither males nor females tolerate strangers of the same sex in their territory, and behave very aggressively towards them.
The size of an individual plot is not stable and depends on a number of factors: the size of the animal, the abundance of food, the presence of fallen trees, etc.
Tagging of the animals showed that some of them live sedentary, while others are nomadic (mainly young animals).

Reproduction: males and females meet each other only during two months - July and August, when the rut occurs; the rest of the time they lead a solitary lifestyle. The male and female find each other using scent marks left by the anal glands. After mating, fertilized eggs do not develop immediately, but remain dormant in the uterus for another 6-7 months. Pregnancy after the latent period is 2 months. The male does not take any part in raising the offspring.
For childbirth, the female prepares a nest, which is lined with grass and other plant material. The nest is located in hollow trees, logs or other voids.

Breeding season/period: July August.

Puberty: at 15-24 months, they usually give birth to cubs at 3 years.

Pregnancy: average 267 days.

Offspring: the female gives birth to up to 7 puppies (average 3-4).
Newborn puppies are blind and deaf, weighing 25-30 g. Ears open on the 26th day, and eyes after 39. Lactation lasts up to 2 months. At 3-4 months, puppies can already get their own food.

Benefit/harm for humans: The American marten is an enemy of game animals, such as gray and fox squirrels and rabbits.
Martens are hunted for their valuable fur. Previously, they paid $100 for one skin, but now the price is $12-$20 per skin.

Population/Conservation Status: Hunting and habitat loss (logging) have reduced the population, but the species is not currently threatened.
Many American martens are killed in rabbit traps.

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American marten(lat. Martes americana) - rare view of the mustelidae family, similar in appearance to the pine marten. The American marten has soft and dense fur, with color variations ranging from pale yellow to reddish and dark brown. The animal's neck is pale yellow, and its tail and legs are dark brown. On the muzzle there are two black lines running vertically from the eyes. The fluffy long tail makes up one third of the animal’s total length. Males reach a body length of 36 cm to 45 cm with a tail length of 15 cm to 23 cm and a weight of 470 g to 1300 g. Females are smaller, with a body length of 32 cm to 40 cm and a tail length of 13.5 cm to 20 cm and weigh from 280 g to 850 g.

Little is known about the habits of the American marten; it is a typical nocturnal and very cautious predator.

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Notes

Literature

• Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9

Links

An excerpt characterizing the American marten