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Pine marten - MARTES MARTES
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Marten": "Marten" is from the Germanic word "marthuz," for the animal.
Location: Europe
Habitat: Arboreal. Coniferous woodland, rarely in deciduous woods.
Description: The coat is long, dense, and glossy brown with a honey-colored patch on the throat; the tail is also glossy brown with even longer fur. The face is pointed, the eyes are large, and the ears are round. The pads on the feet are covered with thick hair. The five toes en each foot have long claws. The head and body are 16 to 20 inches long with a tail of nine to eleven inches. They weigh two to four pounds.
Behavior: The pine marten is mostly solitary. It hunts in the evening or early morning, but may be seen at midday, also. Its preferred prey includes birds, squirrels, rats, mice, and hares; but it will also eat insects and fruits. During the day it sleeps in hollows in trees or in abandoned nests. It has highly developed senses of sight and hearing. Largely arboreal, it is quite agile and climbs and jumps with ease.
Reproduction: Mating takes place in July or August. The gestation period may last up to nine months, at the end of which the female gives birth to four to six young. They are blind and sparsely haired at birth. They nurse for six or seven weeks, and become independent at two or three months.
Note: This species has been eliminated in many areas due to overhunting. The fur is very valuable.
Go to the Carnivore Page to learn more about all the meat-eating animals.
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