Pine Marten

Samantha Noseworthy

Description

The pine marten is a cute Newfoundland animal. The Newfoundland Marten has brown fur and a slim body that looks something like a weasel. He also has an orange throat patch. It is about 2 feet long. The marten weighs about 2 to 3 pounds. He is the size of a house cat with a pointed muzzle and large rounded eyes that are dark brown. Its tail is about half the length of its body.

Habitat/Range

The marten loves to live in the Newfoundland forest where nature is undisturbed. They love the coniferous trees like spruce and pine. They also love the other trees like birch that give lots of shade. They will build their nests in tree stumps and logs. The marten mostly live near the two national parks in Newfoundland - the Terra Nova National Park and Grosse Morne National Park. They prefer to live in areas protected from loggers.

Life Cycle

Young martens or kits are born around April. They will reach adult size at about 3 ½ months of age although they don’t really mature until they are about 2 years old. The mother will have 2 to 3 kits each time she has her babies. When they are born, the kits are naked, blind and deaf.

Food

Most martens are carnivores or meat-eaters. The pine marten likes to eat small animals and birds like mice, rabbits, squirrels and robins. His victims include minks, as well as frogs, fish and sometimes insects.

Special Adaptations

The marten can jump from treetop to treetop without breaking a limb or falling to the ground. This is because of its light weight and its strong claws that lets it grab hold really well.

Enemies

One time, the martens were trapped for their furs. Now that they are on the endangered list, it is illegal to trap the pine marten. The red fox, lynx and owl are a big threat but the biggest threat in loss of land in Newfoundland. Loggers cut down trees and without a home the pine marten has dwindled in number.

Other

In fact, only about 300 pine martens still prowl the forests of Newfoundland. The marten is a member of the weasel family. He is extremely shy and keeps to the wildest sections. When caught alive, martens are easily trained and make excellent pets.

Sources of Information

Mason, George. (1943). Animal Tracks. Toronto. William Morrow and Company.

World Book Encyclopedia. (1999). Marten.