Species: Martes americana = American marten. American marten (Martes americana) Lifestyle, behavior

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

Martens are very agile. They easily jump through trees from branch to branch, marking their paths of movement with the smell of their glands. The abdominal and anal scent glands are well developed and are characteristic feature for all representatives of the mustelid family. These predators are also well adapted to climbing trees, where they catch squirrels in their 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.

American marten similar to other martens - it has a long, slender body covered with sparkling, brownish fur. The throat is yellowish, the tail is long and bushy. Similar to cats, it has semi-extended claws that make it easier to climb trees, as well as relatively large feet, suitable in snowier areas.

The habitat of American martens is dark coniferous forests: old coniferous forests of spruce, pine and other trees, as well as forest 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 in a dormant state, after which the pregnancy lasts 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.

Marten- small predatory animal, which in nature does not have many enemies. She instantly escapes from a lynx, cougar, coyote or fox by climbing a tree, although sometimes she becomes the prey of an eagle or eagle owl. The main threat to its existence is human activity.

HABITAT

The American marten most readily settles in coniferous forests North America, where there is always a reliable shelter for her and a generous table is laid in the form of all kinds of forest rodents. However, under the onslaught of civilization, coniferous tracts are steadily shrinking, and the marten had to adapt to new natural conditions. She successfully mastered mixed forests, where spruce trees predominate in the forest stand, as well as deciduous forests, where maples, beeches and birches dominate. The American marten avoids open spaces and proximity to humans.

LIFESTYLE

The marten leads a solitary lifestyle, occupying a home plot ranging from 4 to 10 square meters. km. As a rule, the hunting grounds of the male are larger than those of the female, and often they partially coincide with the areas of neighboring females. However, despite the close proximity of the properties, their owners are very rare. The marten regularly marks the boundaries of its territory with secretions of odorous glands located on the abdomen and near the anus. She spends her entire life in tireless wanderings through the forest, being especially active in the summer. The marten usually goes out hunting in the evening twilight, but in the summer it also hunts during the day. To get lunch or dinner, she has to walk at least 4-5 km. Without disdain plant foods, the marten is primarily a strong and energetic predator and in the taiga is one of the best getters. She successfully hunts small rodents, hares and squirrels, tirelessly pursuing her favorite prey, climbing into hollows and digging other people's holes. Birds and birds are often its victims. the bats; she is not averse to eating chicks and drinks bird eggs, carefully holding them with her front paws. The marten is not inferior to squirrels in its dexterity and speed of movement in the treetops. On occasion, it feeds with appetite on insects, earthworms and even carrion. After a successful hunt, she eats small prey on the spot, and hides large prey in reserve so that she can later return and eat the leftovers. In summer, the marten's diet is supplemented with fruits and berries: wild apples, blackberries and cherries. The marten is an excellent swimmer and diver. She does not have a permanent den - most shelters are temporary, and she does not arrange them, hiding in them only from bad weather and predators. The marten never occupies the same dwelling for a long time. In winter and during severe bad weather, she sleeps peacefully in her den for most of the day.

SECURITY

Unfortunately, the marten is the owner of very beautiful, durable and valuable fur. The huge demand for marten skins led to the mass extermination of these animals. Until 1914, about 200 thousand martens were hunted annually in Canada, which led to the almost complete destruction of their population. Since 1950, the state has taken the American marten under strict protection and began resettling the animals imported from the United States in their old forest lands. These efforts were successful, and the marten population in Canada was restored. Today, in those areas where martens have bred in sufficient numbers, limited shooting is permitted.

REPRODUCTION

Rutting among martens occurs in the summer - usually in July-August. During this period, the animals briefly humble their quarrelsome disposition and actively search for a partner. After a two-week courtship, the male, without unnecessary ceremony, mates with the chosen one several times during the day, after which the couple scatters about their business. During one mating season, both the male and the female can have several sexual partners. Having undergone preliminary division, fertilized eggs seem to hibernate for 6-7 months, and with the arrival of spring, special physiological processes in the mother’s body give a new impetus to their development and implantation of embryos in the uterine cavity. From this moment, the accelerated development of the embryos begins, and the final stage of pregnancy lasts about 30 days. In March-April, the female brings on average three cubs, which are born in a specially prepared nest - most often in a tree hollow.

Newborns are blind and covered with sparse fur. For 45 days, the mother feeds her offspring with milk. Babies grow up quickly and already at one month of age they see, hear perfectly and have a full set of baby teeth. The one and a half month old cubs are so playful and restless that the mother drags them to a new den on the ground, trying to protect them from falling from tall tree. By the end of the third month of life, young martens reach the size of adults and part with their mother to go in search of their own territory. Females reach sexual maturity at 2 years, and males at 3 years.

DID YOU KNOW?

• In one day, the marten can cover up to 25 km. To do this, she must make about 30 thousand jumps 60-70 cm long.
• The marten requires 120 g of food per day, but it often has to be content with a much more modest portion - 60-90 g.
• The American marten is the most dexterous and agile climber among all members of the mustelidae family.
• The fishing marten (pecan) is larger than all its relatives. Its body length reaches 80 cm and its weight is 5 kg. Since her hunting grounds coincide with those of the pine marten, the latter often becomes the prey of her giantess cousin.
• The marten usually does not store food and, after a successful hunt, immediately eats its prey. For a long time zoologists could not find an explanation for the bloody massacres that the wheatear martens carried out when they climbed into the chicken coop. The answer turned out to be simple: in wildlife the potential victim of a predator tries to escape, and poultry reacts in the same way to the appearance of an enemy. However, in a locked chicken coop there is nowhere to run, and at the sight of such an abundance of defenseless prey, the marten falls into the excitement of the hunt, instinctively killing everyone who falls into its claws. Having gutted one unfortunate chicken and eaten to its fill, the robber leaves, and the owners can only count their losses.

RELATED SPECIES

The genus of martens is represented by seven species. They all live in the Northern Hemisphere and have a similar body structure, differing from each other mainly in the color of their hair.
Kharza- found in the forests of Central and Southeast Asia.

Stone marten- lives in Southern and Central Europe; settles in mountainous areas and near human habitation.

American marten - M. americana Turton, 1806 (Area: northern part of North America - Alaska, except the southwestern part with the Alaska Peninsula and the coast of the Beaufort Sea; Canadian provinces - Yukon, Mackenzie, except the northeast, British Columbia with the archipelago Alexandra, Queen Charlotte Island and Vancouver Island, northern half and a narrow strip of the southwest Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, except the northwest, Newfoundland with 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 northeastern Illinois, Wisconsin, except southwest, northern half of Minnesota, extreme northeastern North Dakota, western third of Montana, northern half and southeastern Idaho, northwest and southern Wyoming, northeastern Utah, western half of Colorado, northern central regions New Mexico, western half, northern and southeastern Washington, western third and northeastern Oregon, northern half of California).

The American marten is found throughout most of Canada, reaching as far south as Nevada and 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 Lately began to restore its numbers.

Within its range, the marten prefers mature coniferous forests of pine, spruce and other trees. These old forests have an abundance of fallen and rotting trees and logs, which are excellent places for building nests and provide martens with varied and reliable shelters. A new study has shown that the marten can live successfully 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, and females - between 49 and 60 cm, of which the tail accounts for 16 to 24 cm, and average weight martens range 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 curved, sharp claws that are well adapted for climbing trees. The fur is long and shiny. American martens have bushy tails that make up one third of their total length. The body shape resembles a sable, and it is quite possible that it is just a subspecies of our sable, which has coarser and less valuable fur.

The main tone of its fur is brown, and in some individuals the fur can be colored from dark red to very light brown. The muzzle and underparts 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 is often active during the twilight hours (morning and evening), and often during the day when prey with daytime activity is abundant.

Martens are very agile and jump from branch to branch in 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 create 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 very effective predator. The marten kills its prey with a bite to the back of the head, crushing the cervical vertebrae and destroying the victim's spinal cord. In winter, martens tunnel under the snow in search of mouse-like rodents.

American marten consumes wide range feed, although they eat mostly meat. They are ready to eat any animal they can catch. It feeds on red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), also rabbits, chipmunks, mice, voles, partridges and other small birds and their eggs, fish, frogs, insects, honey, mushrooms, and seeds. When food, like rabbits, is scarce during the winter, the marten can eat almost anything that is somehow edible, including plant matter and carrion. This species can be considered 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 representatives of the mustelid family. They leave the secretion of odorous glands on stones and logs, especially actively during the mating season.

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

During March or April of the following year, females give birth to up to 7 young (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. Juveniles are blind and deaf at birth and weigh approximately 25-30 g. Babies' ears open after 26 days, and their eyes open after 39 days. They are weaned at 2 months, and can obtain food for themselves 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 a little strange, since they spend most of their time hunting on the surface of the earth. Martens have a great appetite and they are very curious, which is why they can sometimes get into trouble for themselves by falling into traps and various traps. They live up to 10-15 years. There are no known predators, although young martens may be attacked by owls and large carnivores (such as wolves).

Males are territorial, defending a territory of up to three square miles. The territory of females is smaller and does not exceed 0.5 - 1.0 square miles. Martens generally completely cover 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 (described by eyewitnesses as giggling and screaming) to communicate.

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

Martens weight or body size - most important factor for many reasons. Large home plot requires large quantity energy for examination and its protection. A large marten is better suited for this. The suitability and availability of sufficient quantities of food is also a critical factor. The marten must regulate the size of their home range so that there is enough food and that it is not difficult to maintain it efficiently. The number of fallen trees and hollow logs on their property also has 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 the best area, especially areas with females living on them.

Tagging of the animals showed that some of them live sedentary, 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.

American marten(lat. Martes americana) - rare view of the mustelidae family, similar in appearance to the pine marten. The American marten has soft and dense fur, with color variations ranging from pale yellow to reddish and dark brown. The animal's neck is pale yellow, and its tail and legs are dark brown. On the muzzle there are two black lines 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

Area: Canada, North America.

Description: The American marten is a small, furry mammal with an elongated body. The tail is long and fluffy, making up one third of the animal's total length. The ears are small, rounded, and the nose is sharply protruding. The feet are short, with five toes on each foot. The claws are sharp, curved, adapted for climbing trees. The eyes are big. The fur is long and shiny. Males are heavy and larger than females.

Color: The fur is brown, with shades ranging from dark red to light brown. The muzzle and underside of the body are lighter in color, the paws and tail are dark brown or black, and the chest is patched with cream.

Size: males - 55-68 cm, females - 49-60 cm, tail 16-24 cm.

Weight: 500-1500 g.

Lifespan: up to 10-15 years.

Habitat: 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.

Enemies: unknown, presumably owls and large carnivores.

Food: The diet of the American marten includes a variety of food: red squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, mice, voles, partridges and their eggs, fish, frogs, insects, honey, mushrooms, seeds. If food is scarce, the marten can eat almost anything that is edible, including plant matter and carrion.

Behavior: mainly a nocturnal mammal, but is also active during twilight (morning and evening), and often during the day.
The marten is very agile - it jumps from branch to branch in the trees, marking its paths of movement with the smell of its glands. Hunts alone. Well adapted to climbing trees, where it catches squirrels in their 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 dig a tunnel under the snow in search of mouse-like rodents.
The anal and abdominal scent glands are well developed and are characteristic of all representatives of the mustelid family.
Martens have a good appetite, they are very curious, which is why they sometimes get into trouble, for example, falling into traps and various traps.

Social structure: Male American martens are territorial: they defend their territory. Animals walk around 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.
Tagging of the animals showed that some of them live sedentary, while others are nomadic (mainly young animals).

Reproduction: males and females meet each other only during 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 using scent marks left by the anal glands. After mating, fertilized eggs do not develop immediately, but remain dormant in the uterus for another 6-7 months. Pregnancy after the latent period is 2 months. The male does not take any part in raising 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.

Breeding season/period: July August.

Puberty: at 15-24 months, they usually give birth to cubs at 3 years.

Pregnancy: average 267 days.

Offspring: 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 the 26th day, and eyes after 39. Lactation lasts up to 2 months. At 3-4 months, puppies can already get their own food.

Benefit/harm for humans: 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, they paid $100 for one skin, but now the price is $12-$20 per skin.

Population/Conservation Status: Hunting and habitat loss (logging) have reduced the population, but the species is not currently threatened.
Many American martens are killed in rabbit traps.

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