Martes martes
The Pine Marten closely resembles Beech Marten. It is reddish or chocolate brown, with a yellowish to orange area on its chest. This pale area is solid and does not continue to the front feet as it does on Beech Marten. The Pine Marten is slimmer and somewhat more long-legged than Beech Marten, at about 15 cm high at the shoulder, and has more pointed ears. The Pine Marten’s snout is dark.
Pine Marten is 36–65 cm long, with a 20–25 cm tail; the female weighs 0.7–1.2 kg, the male 1.3–1.8 kg.
Pine Martens live in mature mixed or conifer woodland with clearings, especially woodland with plenty of dead and old hollow trees, but they might also be found in sheds and barns in agricultural areas. Pine Martens are nocturnal, but in northern Scandinavia, when the days are long, they can also be seen during the day, mainly just before dusk. During the day, martens sleep in abandoned squirrel or raptor nests, in hollow trees, or between rocks.
Pine Martens feed on small rodents and birds; occasionally they also take pigeons and poultry. They can also catch squirrels in treetops, and will eat berries and fruit in the summer. Pine Martens will also eat grass. The scat is similar to that of Beech Marten, and can also resemble that of a fox, but the scat of Pine Marten is often smaller and smells similar to the musk of deer. The scat is 8–10 cm long, 1–1.2 cm thick, somewhat twisted and usually pointed at one end; it is normally black and contains the remains of hair and feathers. Scat is left in the open on stones, clumps of grass, and tree stumps, but it is especially abundant on trees in which the Pine Marten rests during the day.
Pine Martens climb so well, they can catch squirrels in the treetops. Note the yellow area on this marten’s neck. LG.
Pine Marten scat. JH; inset, ED.
Pine Marten tracks are similar to those of Beech Marten, but since Pine Martens have more hair on their feet, the prints in snow may appear larger and more blurred. The tracks might also resemble those of hares, though a marten’s tracks are often located right below or very close to a tree; the marten also has five toes on each foot, whereas hares have only four.
The front footprint, not including the heel, is 3.5–5 cm long and about 3.5 cm wide. The hind footprint is somewhat smaller, 3–3.5 cm long and about 3 cm wide.
Like most martens, Pine Marten jump-walks, and the length between front and hind foot is 50–80 cm.
Pine Marten tracks in snow. Left, LGA; right, LG.