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Marten
A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on the species; it is valued by animal trappers for the fur trade. Martens are slender, agile animals, which are adapted to living in the taiga, and inhabit coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the Northern Hemisphere. Classification Results of DNA research indicate that the genus ''Martes'' is paraphyletic, with some studies placing ''Martes americana'' outside the genus and allying it with '' Eira'' and '' Gulo'', to form a new New World clade. The genus first evolved up to seven million years ago during the Miocene epoch. Fossils Several fossil martens have been described, including: *†''Martes campestris'' (Pliocene) *†''Martes wenzensis'' (Pliocene) *†''Martes vetus'' (Pleistocene) Another descri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martes Americana
The American marten (''Martes americana''), also known as the American pine marten, is a species of North American mammal, a member of the family Mustelidae. The species is sometimes referred to as simply the pine marten. The name "pine marten" is derived from the common name of the distinct Eurasian species, ''Martes martes''. ''Martes americana'' is found throughout Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern United States. It is a long, slender-bodied weasel, with fur ranging from yellowish to brown to near black. It may be confused with the fisher (''Pekania pennanti''), but the marten is lighter in color and smaller. Identification of the marten is further eased by a characteristic bib that is a distinctly different color than the body. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, with males being much larger. The diet is omnivorous and varies by season, but relies chiefly on small mammals like voles. They are solitary except during the mid-summer breeding season. Embryonic implantation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beech Marten
The beech marten (''Martes foina''), also known as the stone marten, house marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List on account of its wide distribution, its large population, and its presence in a number of protected areas. It is superficially similar to the European pine marten, but differs from it by its smaller size and habitat preferences. While the pine marten is a forest specialist, the beech marten is a more generalist and adaptable species, occurring in a number of open and forest habitats. Evolution Its most likely ancestor is ''Martes vetus'', which also gave rise to the pine marten. The earliest ''M. vetus'' fossils were found in deposits dated to the Würm glaciation in Lebanon and Israel. The beech marten likely originated in the Near East or southwestern Asia, and may have arrived in Europe by th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martes Foina
The beech marten (''Martes foina''), also known as the stone marten, house marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List on account of its wide distribution, its large population, and its presence in a number of protected areas. It is superficially similar to the European pine marten, but differs from it by its smaller size and habitat preferences. While the pine marten is a forest specialist, the beech marten is a more generalist and adaptable species, occurring in a number of open and forest habitats. Evolution Its most likely ancestor is ''Martes vetus'', which also gave rise to the pine marten. The earliest ''M. vetus'' fossils were found in deposits dated to the Würm glaciation in Lebanon and Israel. The beech marten likely originated in the Near East or southwestern Asia, and may have arrived in Europe by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
European Pine Marten
The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and parts of Iran, Iraq, and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is less commonly known as baum marten or sweet marten. Description The European pine marten's fur is usually light to dark brown. It is short and coarse in the summer, growing longer and silkier during the winter. It has a cream- to yellow-coloured "bib" marking on its throat. Its body is up to long, with a bushy tail of about . It weighs around ; males are slightly larger than females. It has excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing. Distribution and habitat Britain and Ireland The European pine marten was for many years common only in northwestern Scotland. A study in 2012 found that it has spread from the Scottish Highlands north into Sutherland and Caithness and southeastwards from the Great Glen into Moray, Aberde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newfoundland Pine Marten
The Newfoundland pine marten (''Martes americana atrata'') is a genetically distinct subspecies of the American marten (''Martes americana'') found only on the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; it is one of only 14 species of land mammals native to the island. The marten was listed as endangered by the COSEWIC in 2001 and has been protected since 1934, however the population still declines. The Newfoundland marten has been geographically and reproductively isolated from the mainland marten population for 7000 years. The Newfoundland pine marten is similar in appearance to its continental cousin, but is slightly larger, with dark brown fur with an orange/yellow patch on the throat. Females are an average weight of 772 grams and males have an average weight of 1275 grams. The Newfoundland subspecies is also observed to inhabit a wider range of forest types than its mainland counterparts. The population characteristics suggest that the New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martes Caurina
The Pacific marten (''Martes caurina'') is a species of North American mammal, a member of the Family (biology), family Mustelidae. It is found throughout western North America. Taxonomy The species was formerly considered conspecific with the American marten (''M. americana''), but several studies using molecular genetics indicate that ''M. caurina'' is a distinct species from it, and it has since been recognized as such by the American Society of Mammalogists. The two species also have some morphological differences, with ''M. caurina'' having a shorter rostrum and a broader cranial shape. The two species are thought to have diverged during the Last Glacial Maximum after being isolated from one another in Glacial refugium, glacial refugia. Subspecies Seven subspecies have been recognized based on fossil history, cranial analysis, and mitochondrial DNA analysis. None of the subspecies are separable based on morphology, and subspecies taxonomy is usually ignored ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martes Flavigula
The yellow-throated marten (''Martes flavigula'') is a marten species native to the Himalayas, Southeast and East Asia. Its coat is bright yellow-golden, and its head and back are distinctly darker, blending together black, white, golden-yellow and brown. It is the second-largest marten in the Old World, after the Nilgiri marten, with its tail making up more than half its body length. It is an omnivore, whose sources of food range from fruit and nectar to invertebrates, rodents, lagomorphs, reptiles and birds, and to small primates and ungulates. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, stable population, occurrence in a number of protected areas and an apparent lack of threats. Description The yellow-throated marten has short bright brownish-yellow fur, a blackish brown pointed head, reddish cheeks, light brown chin and lower lips; the chest and lower part of the throat are orange-golden, and flanks and belly are bright yellowish. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Humboldt Marten
The Humboldt marten (''Martes caurina humboldtensis'') is an endangered, genetically distinct subspecies of the Pacific marten known from the old-growth coastal redwood forests, forests with dense shrub cover, areas with serpentine soils, and forested areas with dense understory cover of the U.S. states in coastal California and Oregon. Habitat and distribution Fewer than 500 of them survive in both states combined, in four different populations; one in northern California, one straddling the California-Oregon border, one in southern Oregon, and one in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. It is speculated that Humboldt martens in northern California and southern Oregon may be genetically connected into one large population, but there is no data to inform genetic connectedness as of 2020. Conservation The subspecies was considered extinct until being rediscovered in the Six Rivers National Forest in 1996. They are most threatened by a lack of population expansion and by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martes Gwatkinsii
The Nilgiri marten (''Martes gwatkinsii'') is the only marten species native to southern India. It lives in the hills of the Nilgiris and parts of the Western Ghats. With only around a thousand members left it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Taxonomy The Nilgiri marten was described by Thomas Horsfield based on a skin in the museum of the East India Company; it is named after the collector Reynolds Gwatkins. Characteristics The Nilgiri marten is deep brown from head to rump, with the forequarters being almost reddish, with a bright throat ranging in colour from yellow to orange. It has a prominent frontal concavity and is larger than the yellow-throated marten. It is about long from head to vent and has a tail of . It weighs about . Distribution and habitat The Nilgiri marten mainly inhabits the shola grasslands and South Western Ghats montane rain forests, and occasionally the adjacent South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests and commercial plantati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martes Zibellina
The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the taiga, forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kazakhstan, China, North Korea and Hokkaido, Japan. The name "sable" originates from Slavic languages and entered Western European languages through the medieval fur trade. Sables are small, omnivorous mammals that inhabit dense forests in regions like Russia, Mongolia, and China. They are known for their luxurious fur, which ranges from light to dark brown and is softer and silkier than that of American martens. Sables resemble pine martens in size and appearance but have more elongated heads, longer ears, and shorter tails. They are skilled climbers and primarily hunt by sound and scent. Mating occurs between June and August, and litters typically have two or three offspring. Sable fur has been highly valued in the fur trade since the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mustelidae
The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivora, carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborder Caniformia of the order (biology), order Carnivora with about 66 to 70 species in nine subfamilies. Variety Mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour. The smaller variants of the least weasel can be under in length, while the giant otter of Amazon rainforest, Amazonian South America can measure up to and sea otters can exceed in weight. Wolverines can crush bones as thick as the femur of a moose to get at the Bone marrow, marrow, and have been seen attempting to drive bears away from their kills. The sea otter uses rocks to break open shellfish to eat. Martens are largely arboreal, while European badgers dig extensive tunnel networks, called setts. Only one mustelid has been domesticated; the ferret. Tayra are also kept ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
