Pine Martens Nearly Became Extinct After Being Trapped For Their Fur, But Unless You’re Traipsing Through The Wilderness At Odd Times, They’re Rare To Catch A Glimpse Of
You’ll never find a more agile and adorable creature than the pine marten! The pine marten is in the Mustelidae family, making them related to mink, weasels, otters, and badgers. Pine martens live in woodland areas and like to jump around in trees. They are mostly found across Europe.
The pine marten population has experienced a sharp decline in Britain, so they have become an endangered species. But luckily, due to conservation efforts, they have been increasing in numbers in recent years.
Pine martens are slender creatures with pointed faces and bushy tails. They are similar in size to your average house cat, reaching lengths of 25 to 31 inches and weighing between two to five pounds. They have soft, brown fur, small round ears, and sharp teeth for tearing into meat.
Additionally, these animals have powerful claws, which give them amazing tree-climbing abilities and allow them to hunt their prey easily.
Overall, the carnivorous marten prefers to eat rodents, rabbits, birds, and squirrels. They also forage for honey, insects, berries, seeds, worms, and eggs. In the wild, their average lifespan is eight years.
It’s tough to spot a pine marten. They stay away from roadsides, concealing themselves deep in the forest in areas that receive a lot of snowfall.
They also tend to be active in the early mornings or late evenings, so unless you happen to be traipsing through the wilderness at those times of day, you probably won’t see one out and about.
Pine martens find hollow trees, spaces underneath rocks, or birds’ nests to make their homes. In the winter, they burrow under snow piles for warmth.
They even have fur on the soles of their wide feet that act like snowshoes, which keep them warm and help them travel through deep snow more efficiently.
Paul – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Pine martens like to live solitary lifestyles. When an adult marten encounters another, it will often growl and bare its teeth.
Occasionally, they will come together during the summer for short periods of time to mate. Females have a litter of around three babies per year, giving birth during the spring after a gestation period of eight months when the weather conditions are favorable and food resources are abundant.
The pine marten population is relatively stable across most of Europe, but in Britain, their numbers are still alarmingly low. Pine martens nearly became extinct because they were trapped for their fur, especially in the 1700s to the 1800s.
Their fur was highly coveted for soft, warm, luxurious coats. Fur trapping hasn’t totally ceased, but increased awareness of fur production has resulted in less demand for marten fur. There are also laws in place to protect the animals, making trapping a minimal threat.
Now, the bigger concerns are deforestation and climate change. Deforestation has had major effects on pine marten populations. Pine martens rely on forests for food and shelter, so clearing the woods will leave them hungry and homeless.
In addition, climate change has caused the earth to warm up, significantly reducing the amount of snowfall in areas that pine martens occupy. Deep snow helps protect them from larger carnivores, like foxes and coyotes.
Forest conservation is absolutely crucial to the survival of pine martens. By supporting conservation efforts, you can ensure that martens thrive for years to come, long enough for you to get the chance to see one jumping from tree to tree!
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