Pine marten
The pine marten is a dark, cat-sized carnivore found in Britain and Ireland.[1][2] It was once widespread, later survived only in Scotland and Ireland, and is now coming back to parts of England and Wales.[1]
Description
The pine marten has a pointed muzzle, large pale ears, long legs and a bushy tail. Its fur is chocolate brown, with a creamy-yellow patch on the throat that varies in shape.[1] The polecat is smaller and has white markings on the face, while the American mink has shorter legs and very small ears.[1]
Males measure 48–56 cm in head and body length and females 36–45 cm; the tail is 17–28 cm. Males weigh 600–2,200 g and females 500–1,200 g.[1]
Distribution and habitat
After being confined to Scotland and Ireland, the species is returning to areas including Northumberland, Staffordshire, North Wales and the New Forest.[1]
It lives mainly in woodland, which need not be coniferous. It prefers older woods with a varied structure and plenty of holes. Dens are made in tree holes and rock crevices, and in Scotland many are in buildings.[2]
Behaviour and diet
Pine martens are skilled climbers and can catch red squirrels among the branches.[1] Voles are their main food. They also eat mice, shrews, squirrels, rabbits, birds and their eggs, amphibians and insects, along with berries, nuts, fungi and honey, especially in autumn. They will visit bird tables and bins.[2]
They are mostly nocturnal, but in summer may feed around dusk and dawn. Each animal defends a scent-marked range against others of the same sex, though the ranges of males and females can overlap.[2]
Breeding
Mating happens between June and August, and the male plays no part in raising young. Litters of two to six kits are born in late March or early April and leave the den at seven to eight weeks.[2]
Conservation
The pine marten is legally protected and is on the Biodiversity List.[1] In 2021, Couzens and colleagues estimated about 3,500 animals in Scotland and about 2,700 in Ireland. They put the number in England and Wales at under 100 but increasing, with reintroduction in progress there.[2] They identified fragmentation of woodland as a threat in its core range.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Couzens, Dominic; Swash, Andy; Still, Robert; Dunn, Jon (2021). "Pine Marten". Britain's Mammals (Updated ed.). Princeton University Press. p. 216. ISBN 9780691224862.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|subtitle=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Couzens, Dominic; Swash, Andy; Still, Robert; Dunn, Jon (2021). "Pine Marten". Britain's Mammals (Updated ed.). Princeton University Press. p. 217. ISBN 9780691224862.
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