American marten (lat. martes americana) is a small predatory animal from the Mustelidae family (lat. Mustelidae), living in North America. The animal has an unusually strong, soft and beautiful fur, therefore, since the colonization of the American continent, it has undergone mass shooting. In Canada alone at the beginning of the last century, more than 200 thousand animals were mined annually.

Only in 1950, the marten was taken under state protection, and individuals imported from the United States began to be settled throughout Canada. Fortunately, the Canadian population was gradually restored, and now in some parts of the country limited shooting is allowed again.

Behavior

The American marten prefers to settle in coniferous forests. In connection with their constant cutting down, the animals have adapted to life in mixed forests with a predominance of spruce. They also took root in deciduous forests where birches, maples and beeches dominate.

The marten avoids open spaces and tries to stay away from humans.

In the forest, a nimble creature easily flees from large predators, instantly climbing trees. In addition to humans, only eagles and eagle owls can pose a significant danger to her.



 The American marten leads a solitary lifestyle, occupying a home area of ​​​​up to 10 square meters. km. The areas of males are larger than those of females. Each animal strenuously marks the boundaries of the territory it occupies with secretions of odorous glands located on the abdomen and near the anus, so violations of existing boundaries are rare.

Martens are very active and for most of their lives are in constant motion, wandering through the forest in search of food. They are especially active in summer time, hunting not only at night, but also during the day.

With the advent of twilight, the predator goes hunting, passing at least 4-6 km. She successfully hunts squirrels, hares and small rodents, tirelessly chasing the chosen victim, climbing into hollows and digging out other people's holes. Birds and bats also become its prey.

The marten enjoys eating chicks and bird eggs which, while eating, gently holds with its front paws. The diet is also supplemented with insects and earthworms. She does not disdain carrion. It eats small prey on the spot, and hides large prey in reserve. In summer, animals eat forest fruits and berries. They especially love wild apples and cherries.

During the day, the animal eats up to 120 g of food, but can do with half of its daily allowance.

The American marten is an excellent swimmer and diver. She does not have a permanent lair, so she constantly changes her place of deployment, often having dozens of temporary shelters at her disposal. She does not deal with their arrangement, being quite content with Spartan conditions and hiding in them only from bad weather and predators. In winter and in severe weather, she just sleeps there sweetly, waiting for more favorable weather.

In the cold of winter, martens often overcome their fear of humans and go under the cover of night to chicken coops, arranging bloody battles there. At the sight of defenseless chickens, the predator enters into a hunting passion and methodically kills all the birds that fall under her claws. At the same time, he always eats only one chicken and, having eaten from the belly, leaves the chicken coop with a feeling of deep satisfaction. For this reason, farmers do not like martens, to put it mildly.

reproduction

Proud loneliness in furry creatures stops in July-August with the onset mating season. Unaccommodating predators begin to look for a mate. The male takes care of the female for about two weeks. After mating, he leaves her and rushes in search of a new partner.

Fertilized eggs begin to develop in the mother's body only after 6-7 months with the advent of spring. The final stage of pregnancy lasts about 30 days. The female usually brings three cubs (rarely five or seven) at the end of March or at the beginning of April in a pre-prepared nest. Most often it is found in the hollow of a tree.

The mother feeds the babies with milk for 45 days.

The kids are developing fast. On the 40th day, their eyes open and a full set of milk teeth appears. One and a half month old puppies are distinguished by unusual playfulness and are so restless that their mother takes them to a new den on the ground in order to protect them from falling from a high tree.

At 3.5 months, young martens reach the size of an adult and leave their mother to acquire their own hunting grounds. Females become sexually mature at 2 years old, and males are ready to procreate at the age of 3 years.

Description

The body length of males reaches 35-50 cm. Females are smaller, and their body length ranges from 30 to 40 cm. Males weigh 0.7-1.5 kg, females 0.5-1.1 kg.

The body is elongated and slender. The fur is fluffy and thick, painted in various shades of brown. Ears are wide and round. There is a white border around the edges of the ears.

On the throat and chest is a creamy or yellowish spot called the shirtfront. The fluffy tail helps balance on tree branches. Its length is 10-20 cm. The narrow mouth is seated 38 sharp teeth. The paws are short with dense hair pads on the feet, making it easy to move in the snow. The claws are sharp and partially retract inward.

The life span of the American marten wild nature reaches 12-15 years.

Animals are most active in the early morning, late afternoon and at night. Outside the mating season, they lead a hermitic lifestyle. Males defend their territories of about 8 square kilometers, which overlap with the territories of females, which are about 2.5 square kilometers. There is a lot of aggression between animals of the same sex. Marked animals showed that some live settled, while others are nomadic. Nomads usually include young animals that have become independent.

Martens are very agile. They easily jump through the trees from branch to branch, marking the path of movement with the smell of their glands. The abdominal and anal scent glands are well developed and characteristic feature for all members of the marten family. These predators are well adapted to climbing trees, where they catch squirrels in nests at night. They hunt alone. These animals kill their prey with a bite to the back of the head, destroying the spinal cord and breaking the victim's cervical vertebrae. In winter, predators dig tunnels under the snow to search for mouse-like rodents. They also willingly eat rabbits, chipmunks, partridges, frogs, fish, insects, carrion and even fruits and vegetables.

The American marten is similar to other martens - it has a long, slender body covered with shiny, brownish fur. The throat is yellowish, the tail is long and fluffy. Similar to cats, it has semi-stretched claws that make it easier to climb trees, as well as relatively large feet, suitable for more snowy areas.

The habitat of American martens is dark coniferous forests: old coniferous forests of spruce, pine and other trees, as well as stands with a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees, including white pine, spruce, birch, maple and fir.

Mating in American martens occurs in the summer - in July and August. The male and female find each other thanks to scent marks left by the anal glands. Fertilized eggs do not develop immediately, but remain in the uterus for another 6-7 months at rest, after which the pregnancy is 2 months. For childbirth, females prepare a nest lined with grass and other plant materials. Such nests are located in logs, hollow trees or other voids. The female gives birth to up to 7 cubs (usually 3-4). Newborns are deaf and blind, weighing only 25-30 grams. The eyes open on the 39th day, and the ears after the 26th. Lactation lasts no more than 2 months. At 3-4 months. kids can get their own food. Puberty they begin at 15-24 months, and the birth of cubs is usually at 3 years. Males do not take any part in raising offspring.

The American marten is a predatory animal of the mustelid family, its Latin name is Martes americana. It lives in dark coniferous forests dominated by spruce and pine, but also occurs in mixed forests. The geographical distribution area is Alaska, Canada and the USA.

The destruction of forests and the extermination of the marten by man has significantly reduced the number of individuals. Now the American marten is one of the rare species. In the US reserves, work is underway to restore the number of the animal.

Appearance

Outwardly, the American marten is similar to another type of marten - the forest marten, but differs in a lighter color of the muzzle and wide feet.

This is a small slender animal with a long body and a fluffy tail, which is about a third of the entire length of the animal. The ears are small and rounded, the nose protruding, the eyes are large. The paws of the marten are short, the claws are sharp, curved, and are well adapted for climbing trees. Body length (including tail) - 55-70 cm, weight - 0.5 - 1.5 kg. Males are heavier and larger than females.

The fur is long and shiny, its color is brown with a dark red or light brown tint. The muzzle and abdomen of a lighter shade, the tail and paws are black or brown. On the chest - a creamy light spot.

Lifestyle

American martens are solitary animals leading a nocturnal and twilight lifestyle. They are very agile and climb trees with great speed, easily jumping from branch to branch.

However, martens find most of their prey on the ground: moving through trees allows them to go unnoticed by rodents living below and other small animals. The peak of hunting activity occurs in the predawn and morning hours, when potential victims also show signs of intense vital activity, leaving their holes in search of food.

American martens are excellent swimmers, and swim quickly not only on the surface, but also under water.

Martens prey on squirrels, mice, chipmunks, rabbits. They usually attack their victims from behind and kill with a lightning-fast bite to the back of the head, breaking the victim's spine.

In addition to mammals, martens prey on partridges, amphibians, reptiles, insects and fish, and sometimes eat carrion. Fruits and vegetables are also included in her diet. Martens are very voracious and very curious, which often causes them to fall into traps and traps set for other animals - for example, rabbits.

Each marten has its own hunting territory. The animal bypasses the possessions approximately every 10 days. American martens do not tolerate strangers in their area - when meeting with representatives of their own species, they show aggression and enter into battle. Young individuals can roam over long distances in search of a better territory in terms of subsistence.

The enemies of the American marten are people, and to a lesser extent - large predatory mammals and birds.

reproduction

Males meet with females only for 2 months a year - in July and August, during the rut. Individuals of the opposite sex find each other with the help of scent marks, which are left through the secretion of the anal glands. Martens communicate with the help of sharp sounds resembling a giggle.

After the act of mating and fertilization, the embryos do not develop immediately, but only after 6-7 months. After a latent pregnancy, the development of the embryo lasts another 2 months. The male does not take any part in raising the cubs.

The female builds a nest for childbirth, the bottom of which is lined with grass. Usually the nest is well hidden from prying eyes in the hollows of trees or cavities of old stumps. Usually 3-4 blind and deaf puppies weighing 30 grams are born. Their ears and eyes open only after a month, milk nutrition lasts up to 2 months of age. At 4 months old, American marten cubs can already forage on their own.

The American marten is fed by its feet - it walks about 25 km a day. To do this, she needs to make about 30 thousand jumps about 60 cm long on the ground and on trees. Their dexterity resembles that of a monkey - this is the most agile climber among the weasel family.

The American marten (Martes americana) is considered a representative of the mustelid family, it belongs to predatory mammals. It differs from the pine martens living in Europe in larger paws and a lighter muzzle.

Description of the American marten

The American marten has a tail of good length, fluffy, it accounts for a third of the total length of the entire body of the animal, which ranges from 54 to 71 cm in males and from 49 to 60 cm in females. The weight of martens also varies from 0.5 to 1.5 kg.

Appearance

The similarity of this species of martens with others is easy to trace: the body of the American marten is elongated, slender, the fur of a healthy individual is thick, sparkling, brown. Also, animals of this species can have light brown or dark red fur. The neck below (shirtfront) is yellowish, but the paws and tail are darker. The ears are small and rounded.

This is interesting! The nose protrudes sharply, pointed, in a narrow mouth there are 38 sharp teeth. Two dark stripes cross the muzzle vertically to the eyes.

The claws of the animal are semi-elongated and sharp - in order to move well along the branches and trunks of trees, they are crooked in shape. Large feet help to move on the snow cover, and paws are short, have five fingers. There is a noticeable similarity between American martens and c - the structure of the body allows you to see common features. Females are lighter and smaller than males.

Lifestyle, behavior

The American marten is a dexterous, but cautious hunter, shy, avoids people, does not like open spaces. It escapes from large predators in trees, where it can quickly and deftly climb in case of danger. These martens are most active in the early morning hours, in the evening and at night. Almost all year round you can see these animals in splendid isolation, with the exception of the mating season. Representatives of both sexes have their own territories, which they zealously protect from the encroachments of other members of their species.

Martens mark their “kingdom” with the help of a secret secreted from the glands located on the abdomen and in the anus, leaving their scent marks on tree branches, stumps and other hills. Males can cover a territory of 8 km 2 in size, females - 2.5 km 2. The area of ​​these “holdings” is affected by the size of the individual, as well as the availability of the necessary feed and fallen trees, other voids that are important for the living of martens and living creatures included in its diet.

This is interesting! It is noteworthy that the areas of males and females can intersect and partially overlap each other, but the territories of same-sex martens do not coincide with each other, since each male or female zealously defends their “lands” from encroachments of another representative of their sex.

At the same time, the male can also make attempts to seize someone else's territory in order to increase his hunting grounds. The marten makes a tour of its “possessions” approximately every decade.

Martens do not have a permanent home, but they can have more than a dozen shelters on their territory in the voids of fallen trees, hollows, burrows - martens can hide in them from bad weather or hide if necessary. It is also interesting that these animals can lead both a sedentary and nomadic lifestyle, and most of the young roam, having just embarked on an independent path in life, probably to search for territories unoccupied by other individuals or in search of areas rich in food. .

Since American martens are hermits, they hunt alone, moving nimbly along the branches at night or twilight and, overtaking their potential food, attack from behind in the back of the head, biting the spine. Martens have a well-developed hunting instinct, and moving along the branches of trees helps these predators go unnoticed by small animals searching for their food on the ground.

Range, habitats

These nimble predatory mammals live mainly in the old mixed and dark coniferous forests of Canada, Alaska, as well as the northern part of the United States. The habitat of American martens can be old coniferous forests of spruce, pine, other coniferous trees, as well as mixed forests from deciduous and coniferous trees, in which white pine, spruce, birch, maple and fir are found. These old forests attract martens with many fallen trees in which they prefer to settle. Currently, there is a tendency for American martens to colonize young and uneven-aged forests of a mixed type.

American marten diet

These predatory animals are supplied by nature good qualities helping them in hunting, since meat occupies a predominant place in their diet. So, at night, martens can successfully grab squirrels in nests, and in winter they have the opportunity to dig long tunnels under the snow in search of mouse-like rodents. An excellent delicacy for them are also rabbits, chipmunks, partridges, frogs, other amphibians and reptiles, as well as fish and insects. Carrion and even fruits and vegetables can enter the diet of these animals in case of insufficient amount of animal feed in the territory of residence. Martens will not refuse from the eggs of birds, as well as their chicks, from mushrooms, seeds and honey.

This is interesting! It should be said that these animals have excellent appetite, absorbing about 150 g of food per day, but they can do with less.

But it also takes them a lot of energy to get the desired amount of food - martens can cover a distance of more than 25 kilometers per day, while making numerous jumps along tree branches and on the ground. And if the prey of martens shows the main activity in the daytime, then in this case the marten can also change its mode and also conduct daytime hunting. big booty marten can hide in reserve.

natural enemies

The natural enemies of the American marten may be larger predatory animals and birds. However, man poses a great danger to the life of these animals due to his influence on nature and hunting for fur.

American marten - M. americana Turton, 1806 (Area: northern part North America- Alaska, except for the southwestern part with the Alaska Peninsula and the coast of the Beaufort Sea; provinces of Canada - Yukon, Mackenzie, except for the northeast, British Columbia with the Alexandra Archipelago, the Queen Charlotte Islands and Vancouver Island, the northern half and a narrow strip of the southwest of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, except for the northwest, Newfoundland with the Newfoundland Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Island Edward; US states - Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, western Massachusetts, New York, northern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, Michigan, extreme northeast Illinois, Wisconsin, except southwest, northern half of Minnesota, extreme northeast North Dakota, western third of Montana, northern half and southeast of Idaho, northwest and south of Wyoming, northeast of Utah, western half of Colorado, north central regions New Mexico, western half, north and southeast of Washington, western third and northeast of Oregon, northern half of California).

The American marten is found throughout most of Canada, and as far south as Nevada and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and California. The American marten is confined to dark coniferous forests and was previously widespread in the USA and Canada, but was subjected to severe extermination and only after Lately began to recover its numbers.

The marten within its range prefers mature coniferous forests of pine, spruce and other trees. These old forests have fallen and rotting trees and logs in abundance, which are excellent places to build nests and provide martens with varied and reliable hiding places. A new study has shown that the marten can also successfully live in younger and mixed forests of different ages. They prefer stands with a mixture of conifers and deciduous trees, including white pine, yellow birch, maple, fir and spruce.

The American marten has a small, fluffy and elongated body. Males usually have a body length between 55 and 68 cm in, and females - between 49 and 60 cm, of which 16 to 24 cm fall on the tail, and the average marten weight ranges between 0.5 and 1.5 kg. The American marten has short legs with large paws; each has five fingers. They also have big eyes, cat ears, and twisted, sharp claws that are well suited for climbing trees. The fur is long and shiny. American martens have fluffy tails that are one third of their total length. The shape of the body resembles a sable, and it is quite possible that she is just a subspecies of our sable, with coarser and less valuable fur.

The main tone of her fur is brown, and in some individuals the fur is colored from dark red to very light brown. The muzzle and underside of the body are usually much lighter in color, the legs and tail are dark brown or black, and the chest has a cream colored patch.

The marten is primarily a nocturnal mammal, but it is often active during the twilight hours (morning and evening), and often during the day, when prey with daytime activity is plentiful.

Martens are very agile and jump from branch to branch in the trees, marking their paths with the smell of their glands. They are usually solitary hunters. It is well adapted to climbing trees, where it catches squirrels in nests at night.

Often their cute and pleasant faces give the false impression that the marten is a tame and obedient animal, but this is far from the case. In fact, the marten is a highly efficient predator. The marten kills its prey with a bite to the back of the head, crushing the cervical vertebrae and destroying the spinal cord of the victim. In winter, martens tunnel under the snow in search of mouse-like rodents.

The American marten consumes a wide range of foods, although they eat mostly meat. They are ready to eat any animal they can catch. Feeds on red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), also rabbits, chipmunks, mice, voles, partridges and other small birds and their eggs, fish, frogs, insects, honey, mushrooms, seeds. When food is scarce, like rabbits, during the winter, the marten will eat just about anything that is somehow edible, including vegetable feed and carrion. This species can be considered as an enemy of game animals, such as gray and fox squirrels and rabbits.

The American marten has well developed large anal and abdominal scent glands, which are characteristic of all members of the mustelid family. They leave the secret of odorous glands on stones and logs especially actively during the mating season.

The breeding biology of the American marten is similar to that of other species of this genus. Males and females communicate with each other only for two months - July and August, when the rut occurs, in the rest of the year they lead a solitary lifestyle. Male and female find each other with the help of strong scent marks left by the anal glands. After mating, the fertilized eggs do not develop immediately, but are in the uterus at rest for 6-7 months. Pregnancy lasts an average of 267 days. The actual pregnancy after this latency period is only 2 months, and everything is aimed at ensuring that young people are born in early spring- in the most favorable period. The male does not take any part in caring for the young.

During March or April next year females give birth to up to 7 cubs (on average 3-4), which are located in nests lined with grass and other plant material. Nests are usually located in hollow trees or logs or other voids. The young are blind and deaf at birth and weigh approximately 25-30 g. After 26 days, the ears of the babies open, and the eyes after 39 days. They are weaned at 2 months, and can get their own food at the age of 3-4 months.

Young females usually mature at 15-24 months, but they do not bear young until they are three years old.

The marten is well adapted to life in trees. They are exceptional climbers and can even climb down a tree trunk, upside down. This seems somewhat strange, since they spend most of their time hunting on the surface of the earth. Martens have a great appetite and are very curious, which is why they can sometimes make trouble for themselves by falling into traps and various traps. They live up to 10-15 years. Enemies are not known, although young martens may be attacked by owls and large carnivores (such as wolves).

Males are territorial: they defend a territory up to three square miles. The territory of females is smaller and does not exceed 0.5 - 1.0 square miles. Martens in general completely walk around their territory every 8-10 days, as they hunt here. Neither males nor females will tolerate another American marten of the same sex in their territory, and they are very aggressive towards them. American martens sometimes use vocalizations to communicate (described as giggles and screams by eyewitnesses).

The size of an individual territory is variable and depends on a number of factors. Body size, availability and abundance of food, and the presence of fallen trees are just some of the factors that determine how large a marten's hunting territory will be.

The weight of martens or body size is the most important factor for many reasons. Large home plot requires a large number energy for examination and its protection. The large marten is better suited for this. The suitability and availability of sufficient food is also a major factor. The marten must adjust the size of their home yard so that there is enough food and it is not difficult to maintain it efficiently. The number of fallen trees and hollow logs on their site also have important role in determining its size. These trees provide them with shelter and places to hunt, especially in winter.

Males have large home ranges and are more territorial than females. Males move (change) the boundaries of their territory, trying to occupy best area, especially areas with females living on them.

The marking of the animals showed that some of them live settled, while others are nomadic. The latter, in particular, include young animals that have become independent.

The marten is shot for its valuable fur. American martens can make playful pets if they are raised and fed from an early age.