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Pine marten, Martes martes in birch woodland
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Pine Martens, Martes martes, are large members of the weasel family, about 65-75 cm in length, and are dark brown with a cream patch on its throat. They have large eyes and big round ears and long bushy tail for balancing. They also have sharp claws for gripping, making them good at climbing. Pine martens will jump between the branches of trees, and are stopped from slipping when it is icy by the hair on the soles of their feet.
Pine martens can be found in native woodland, conifer plantations and sometimes on rocky hillsides. Its homerange depends largely on the amount of woodland cover that is available. If the woodland is sparse it can cover an area of up to 1500 hectares, and if it is dense the area can be as little 400 hectares. The pine martens patrol their areas and will leave droppings around them to warn off any intruders.
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Pine marten on a rocky hillside
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Pine martens make their nests among rocks or in the hollows of trees. They will have around 5 young in April. Aswell as the nest, the pine martens will have dens scattered around their teriitory for resting and shelter. Pine martens are solitary animals and usually hunt alone at night, sleeping in one of their dens during the day. They will eat small mammals such as mice, voles and rabbits, but they will also eat birds, frogs and insects. If these foods are scarce they will also eat fruit and berries.
The pine martens main predators are foxes, wild cats and golden eagles. Pine martens were close to extinction at the beginning of the 20th centuary due to humans. Gamekeepers would trap and kill them because they would eat their game birds and poultry. They were also killed for their fur, which was once an important export to other European countries. The destruction of woodland habitat is also a problem for pine martens. The pine and birch forests of Scotland have been gradually declining, due to man and climate change, causing a loss of habitat for the pine martens.
Numbers of pine martens in Scotland is steadily increasing. It has been illegal to deliberately kill a pine marten since 1988. Areas of native woodland are now being protected, preventing further destruction to the pine marten habitat.
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