Marten animal: description and habits. Types and habitats of martens. Where does the marten live and what does it eat. American marten - a fluffy animal Where does the American marten live

American marten (lat. martes americana) - 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, animals have adapted to life in mixed forests with a predominance of firs. 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.

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 feasting on chicks and bird eggs, which it neatly holds with its front paws while eating. 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 winter cold 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 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 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 with 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.

American marten ( Latin name- Martes americana) - enough rare representative marten families.

This little predator can be found in the forests of Canada, the USA and Alaska. Previously, the American marten was much more numerous, but due to the value of its skin to humans, its populations have been significantly reduced.

This is also affected by the disappearance of the forests themselves, where the marten lives. Now animal rights activists and biologists are working to restore the number of populations in US reserves.

Appearance of the American marten

The American marten is similar to the pine marten. And the shape of the body resembles. But it differs from the latter in tougher fur, and from the pine marten in wider feet and a lighter muzzle.

The marten has a long (from 50 to 70 centimeters), very flexible body. The special beauty of this predator is a fluffy tail, which is a third of the entire length.

The paws are short, five-fingered, they end in curved sharp claws that help the predator climb trees and get food. The marten's eyes are dark, large, shiny. The ears are also quite large, rounded at the top. Males are larger than females. The weight of martens ranges from 500 grams to one and a half kilograms.

The coat is shiny and long. The main color of the fur is brown, but in different individuals it can vary from light brown to dark red. The belly and muzzle of the animal, as a rule, are lighter than the back. On the chest - small plot with cream fur. Paws and tail are dark brown or almost black. Two thin black lines descend from the eyes to the nose.

marten lifestyle

American martens prefer dark coniferous forests- dense, with many fallen trees in which the marten can hide and which are ideal for its nest. However, these martens are also found in mixed forests, although rarely. They lead a solitary life. They hunt mainly at night, at dusk or before dawn. Can hunt during the day. This predator is extremely agile, it easily moves through the trees, jumping from branch to branch.

But the skill of the poison dart frog was developed by the martens not in order to get their own food on the trees, since the martens hunt mainly on the ground. But from a height, firstly, the prey is more visible, and secondly, the predator itself is so less noticeable to the victim. The peak of activity is observed in the marten in the wee hours, when the prey emerge from their burrows in search of food.

Listen to the voice of the American marten

The marten hunts for mice, rabbits, small birds. Moreover, in search of voles, the marten can lay long tunnels under the snow. The marten kills the victim, as a rule, with a lightning-fast bite to the neck or the back of the head, breaking her backbone.

The marten is able to swim, including underwater. There she also catches prey - frogs, fish. If it turned out to be a hungry year, the marten does not disdain even carrion and plant food. It can feast on seeds, mushrooms and even honey.

Each marten has its own hunting grounds, which it completely bypasses about once every 10 days. The area of ​​an individual territory depends on the abundance of food, the presence of fallen trees, and the size of the animal itself. When meeting strangers - other martens encroaching on their territory, American martens ruthlessly drive out, entering into battle. Juveniles, in order to find rich places for hunting that are not occupied by adults, can roam over fairly long distances.

The enemies of the American martens are primarily people who cut down forests and destroy the martens themselves for their skins. But also martens can become victims of larger predatory mammals and birds. In addition, the enemy of the marten is often its own curiosity, thanks to which it falls into traps and traps set on other animals.

The life expectancy of a marten is approximately 10-15 years.

Reproduction of the American marten

The rutting period lasts for the American marten for two months. At this time, usually living alone, males meet with females. The second half of the marten is found by smell, leaving special marks with the help of a secret secreted from the anal glands. Predators communicate with each other with sharp sounds, cries resembling a giggle.

Interestingly, after mating, fertilized embryos begin to develop only after 6-7 months of the so-called latent pregnancy. The very development of the embryos lasts for two months. After the act of mating and fertilization, the embryos do not develop immediately, but only after 6-7 months. Thus, the total gestation period is about 267 days.

Puppies are born in March-April. As a rule, 3-4 of them are born, but in rare cases sometimes up to seven in a litter. The father does not participate in the rearing of the offspring. In order to give birth and hatch offspring, marten females build nests in fallen trees, hollow logs, lining the bottom with soft grass.

Puppies are born blind and deaf, weighing only about 30 grams. A month later, their eyes open, their ears begin to distinguish sounds. Mother's milk kunyat eat within two months. Then the mother begins to bring them animal food and teaches them to hunt. By four months, puppies are already able to get their own food.

The American marten is capable of walking up to 25 kilometers per day, while making about 30 thousand jumps of about 60 centimeters, both on the ground and in trees.

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American marten(lat. martes americana) - rare view mustelidae family, outwardly similar to the pine marten. The American marten has soft and thick fur, ranging in color from pale yellow to reddish to dark brown. The neck of the animal is pale yellow, while the tail and legs are dark brown. There are two black lines on the muzzle running vertically from the eyes. Fluffy a long tail makes up a third of the total length of the animal. Males reach a body length of 36 cm to 45 cm with a tail length of 15 cm to 23 cm and a weight of 470 g to 1300 g. Females are smaller, with a body length of 32 cm to 40 cm and a tail length of 13.5 cm to 20 cm and weigh from 280 g to 850 g.

Little is known about the habits of the American marten, it is a typical nocturnal and very cautious predator.

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Notes

Literature

• Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9

Links

An excerpt characterizing the American marten

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.

Order - Carnivora / Suborder - Dog-like / Family - Mustelids / Subfamily - Mustelids

History of study

American marten (lat. Martes americana) - a rare species of the mustelid family, outwardly similar to pine marten.

Spreading

The habitat of the American marten is Canada, North America.

Appearance

The American marten has soft and thick fur, ranging in color from pale yellow to reddish to dark brown. The neck of the animal is pale yellow, while the tail and legs are dark brown. There are two black lines on the muzzle running vertically from the eyes. Fluffy long tail is one third of the total length of the animal. Males reach a body length of 36 cm to 45 cm with a tail length of 15 cm to 23 cm and a weight of 470 g to 1300 g. Females are smaller, with a body length of 32 cm to 40 cm and a tail length of 13.5 cm to 20 cm and weigh from 280 g to 850 g.

reproduction

Males and females meet each other only for two months - July and August, when the rut occurs, the rest of the time they lead a solitary lifestyle. The male and female find each other with the help of scent marks left by the anal glands. After mating, the fertilized eggs do not develop immediately, but are in the uterus at rest for another 6-7 months. Pregnancy after the latent period is 2 months. The male does not take any part in rearing the offspring.
For childbirth, the female prepares a nest, which is lined with grass and other plant material. The nest is located in hollow trees, logs or other voids.

The breeding season lasts from July to August. Puberty occurs at 15-24 months, usually give birth to cubs at 3 years.

Pregnancy lasts an average of 267 days. The female gives birth to up to 7 puppies (average 3-4). Newborn puppies are blind and deaf, weighing 25-30 g. Ears open on day 26, and eyes after 39. Lactation lasts up to 2 months. At 3-4 months, puppies can already get their own food.

Lifestyle

The habitat of the American marten is dark coniferous forests: mature coniferous forests of pine, spruce and other trees. Stands with a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees, including white pine, yellow birch, maple, fir and spruce.

It is mainly a nocturnal mammal, but is also active at dusk (morning and evening), and often during the day. The marten is very agile - it jumps from branch to branch through the trees, marking the paths of movement with the smell of its glands. Hunt alone. It is well adapted to climbing trees, where it catches squirrels in nests at night. The marten kills its prey with a bite to the back of the head, breaking the cervical vertebrae and destroying the victim's spinal cord. In winter, martens tunnel through the snow in search of mouse-like rodents.
The anal and abdominal scent glands are well developed and are characteristic of all members of the weasel family.

Martens have a good appetite, they are very curious, which is why they sometimes make trouble for themselves, for example, they fall into traps and various traps.

Male American martens are territorial: they defend their territory. Animals bypass their territory every 8-10 days. Neither males nor females tolerate strangers of the same sex in their territory, and behave very aggressively towards them.

The size of an individual plot is not stable and depends on a number of factors: the size of the animal, the abundance of food, the presence of fallen trees, etc. The marking of the animals showed that some of them live settled, while others are nomadic (mostly young animals).

Nutrition

The diet of the American marten includes a variety of foods: red squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, mice, voles, partridges and their eggs, fish, frogs, insects, honey, mushrooms, seeds. If there is not enough food, marten can eat almost everything that is edible, including plant foods and carrion.

population

Hunting and loss of habitats (logging) have led to a decrease in the population, but the existence of the species is currently not threatened.

Many American martens die in rabbit traps.

American marten and man

The American marten is an enemy of game animals, such as gray and fox squirrels and rabbits. Martens are hunted for their valuable fur. Previously, one skin paid $100, but now the price is $12-$20 per skin.