Martes foina
Beech Marten has dark fur with a greyish white undercoat. It has a white patch on its throat that divides on the chest and reaches all the way to the inside of the front legs. The snout is light brown. The patch on the chest of a Pine Marten may be yellow or orange and is solid, and it does not extend to the front legs.
Beech Marten is about 42–48 cm long; the tail measures 23–26 cm, and the height at the shoulder is about 12 cm; the female weighs 0.9–1.9 kg, the male 1.3–2.3 kg.
Beech Martens live in small areas of woodland, in farmyards, or in open landscapes with abundant rodents and small birds; they can also be found in campsites and on the periphery of residential areas. In southern Europe they also occur in rocky and mountainous areas.
Beech Marten has a white patch on its neck. LG.
Beech Martens are territorial and nocturnal, and during the day they rest in old squirrel or raptor nests, hollow trees, or old fox dens, between large stones or rocks, or in wood piles, sheds, barns, or other farm buildings.
The Beech Marten has five toes, but the inner toe print is often not visible. The front footprints are larger than the hind. The prints can often be seen in pairs, and these are always the paired prints of front or hind feet. When the animal is jump-walking, the prints might resemble those of a hare; in other words, the hind footprints are set obliquely to each other, and the front footprints are somewhat longer.
The tracks clearly show claw marks. The front footprints are about 3.5 cm long and 3.2 cm wide; the hind footprints are smaller, about 3 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The stride is about 30–50 cm.
It is almost impossible to separate the tracks of a Beech Marten from those of a Pine Marten, although the latter are a little larger and often more blurred.
Beech Martens feed on small rodents, especially Common Voles, also rats and small birds. Also on the Beech Marten menu are Western Hedgehogs, moles, young squirrels, pigeons, poultry, ducks, raptors, owls, and birds’ eggs, as well as large insects and fruit such as cherries, gooseberries, and plums.
The scat is sausage-shaped, clumped, and pointed at the ends, 8–10 cm long and 1.2–1.5 cm thick. It contains hair, feathers, and bones, and in summer and autumn might also contain the stones of fruit. When fresh, it is pungent. The scat can be found on paths, but it is usually found in piles or in latrines close to the diurnal sleeping quarters.
In a Beech Marten’s territory, you will happen across the remains of prey, especially birds, but also eggshells and hedgehogs—completely consumed except for the quills and skin. The eggshells show small holes, and these are marten tooth marks left after one or more eggs have been carried in the marten’s mouth. After the Beech Marten has bitten a hole in an egg, it presses its snout inside and licks out the contents. This is why the edges of such eggshells are usually bent inward.
Beech Marten scat.
