It is a carnivorous mammal. Belongs to the weasel family. The pine marten easily moves along the branches of tall trees. The animal is fast and cunning, has beautiful and warm fur. Thanks to the fur, it is valuable.
Description
The pine marten was so named because its favorite habitat is the mixed forest. She prefers oak forests, where there are hollow trees, which she needs for rest and breeding. The marten has no permanent residence. She can temporarily settle in any free hollow.
The pine marten is characterized by mobility and dexterity. She has the ability to move by jumping. The jump can be up to four meters in length. The animal freely moves upward, holding on to the tree due to its tenacious claws. The marten’s feet can be turned almost 180 degrees.
Pine marten
The decoration of the animal is a fluffy tail. It helps the marten to perform the following functions:
- keep in a balanced and upright position;
- easy to jump on tree branches;
- easy to land by jumping from a height of a tree;
- navigate thin branches.
In the summer season, the marten’s feet are bare in the area of the soles, and in winter they are covered with wool. This helps her to move easily, on the snow cover, without falling through.
The pine marten has a fine sense of smell, excellent hearing and good eyesight. She moves freely at night. Her ability to emit different sound signals is striking: barking, meowing, howling, growling. This cunning and cunning predatory animal ruthlessly bites its prey in the occipital region.
Appearance and its features
The pine marten has a strong elongated body. Its length is 40-58 centimeters. The body is covered with thick fur colored brown or light chestnut. The tail reaches 19-28 centimeters, and the mass ranges from 1.5 to 2.3 kilograms. The marten has short, thick legs with five separated toes, at the ends of which are sharp claws.
The ears are rounded and directed upwards. The edges of the ears are bordered with an almost white stripe. The head is small, the nose is elongated and has a triangular shape. Dark eyes are closer to the nose. They glow at night. There is a yellow spot in the chest area. Therefore, the pine marten was given the nickname “yellow-bodied”.
Where dwells
The pine marten inhabits almost the entire European part. It is found in woodlands stretching from Britain to Western Siberia, from the Mediterranean islands to the mountain peaks of the Caucasus. These are mainly deciduous or mixed forests. You can also see the pine marten in the highlands, but only where the trees grow.
What eats
Some forest mammals such as squirrels and voles are found in the diet of the pine marten. She eats frogs, insects, snails, birds, and carrion.
In autumn, the animal also eats nuts, berries, fruits. The pine marten loves rowan and blueberry berries. In August and early autumn, the marten stores food for the winter. The pine marten eats almost everything that is available in the surrounding area.
Lifestyle
The pine marten prefers to live and hunt on tree branches. She is a great scout and jumper. With the help of its tail, the pine marten can easily climb up or jump down from any height. In hollows or in the nests of large birds of prey, the marten builds its dwelling. In it she sleeps during the day, and at dusk or at night she hunts.
Martens are tied to their habitat. They mark the area using a secret secreted by the anal gland.
