What does a marten look like and where does this animal live. Stone marten: appearance, behavior and nutrition Where does the mainland marten live

The pine marten is a mammal from the marten family and genus martens. This small predatory animal with a very valuable fur can be found in most of Europe and Asia. It differs from a ferret only in a triangular muzzle and a yellowish breast. From this, the second common name is zheltodushka.

The appearance of the pine marten

• The muzzle is a small elongated triangular shape with a strong jaw and sharp teeth;
• Ears - triangular dark with light edges, rounded at the top;
• The body is slender and flexible;
• Color - from light chestnut to Brown, on the chest - a yellow or orange spot in the form of a drop;
• Paws - five-fingered with strong feet and curved claws. AT winter time paws are overgrown with wool;
• The tail is large and fluffy, in size it is more than half the body of the animal. The tail provides balance while jumping and moving through the trees.

The length of the marten can be 35-58 cm, and the tail - 15-28 cm. Weight - from 0.5 to 2.4 kg. Males are much larger than females, the difference between them can be up to 30%.

Habitat

The pine marten prefers bushy, dense mixed and deciduous forests; less often it can be seen in coniferous forest. It lives in almost all of Europe. The marten enters open areas exclusively for hunting and in the dark. During the day the jaundice rests. As a dwelling, she chooses several places for herself at once: hollows or crevices in trees, abandoned nests at a height of no higher than 5 meters. She lives in a certain area for several years.

Lifestyle. Nutrition

Leads night image life. During the day it hides, in the evening it goes hunting at night. She is excellent at climbing trees, while she can turn her feet 180 degrees. Each individual has its own territory, it is permissible to cross the possessions of the male with the females.

The marten is omnivorous, it can eat both vegetable and animal food. Its menu depends on the habitat and season. By winter, the animal prepares food for itself in hollows. The main diet is animal protein food:

• bird eggs;
• Birds (woodpeckers, tits, capercaillie, and);
• Small rodents (mice, voles, pikas), hares, hedgehogs;
• Insects and their larvae;
• small fish;
• snails;
• and their caviar.

Yellowling very deftly jumps (jump length 4 meters) through the trees, runs fast and easily catches prey. But it can also eat carrion. What does not eat immediately, stores for future use. Depending on the season, the animal also eats plant food - everything that can be collected without descending from the tree:

• Forest berries (raspberries, lingonberries, blueberries, cherries);
• wild apples and pears;
• Rose hip;
• hazelnuts;
• Rowan;
• Honey.

Enemies of the marten

reproduction

Martens acquire offspring, starting from the third year of life. AT summer months females begin estrus lasting about 4 days. Males choose several females from neighboring areas at once. Pregnancy lasts up to 274 days, during this period the female chooses a permanent home for herself, where she will breed.

This is what a pine marten looks like

The pine marten (every hunter is probably familiar with its description) is considered to be one of the most valuable fur-bearing animals. Tens of thousands of skins of this predator are mined by our hunters during the hunting season for it. But, in order for you to be able to lead in, it is worth studying in more detail the information about this animal, about the features of its behavior and habitat. And, our publication is ready to help you with this ...

Where does the marten live

What does a marten eat

The composition of the diet of the pine marten is very diverse. And, if we say that she is a polyphagous predator, then we will not be mistaken. Moreover, the marten is always ready to make up for the lack of one food with several others. Interesting fact and what The diet of male martens is somewhat different from the diet of females.. But, basically, these animals prefer mouse-like rodents, small birds, and do not even disdain insects. Although, if there is a shortage with a carnivorous diet, the marten is always ready to make up for it. vegetable feed– such as nuts, berries and fruits…

Do martens eat squirrels

It is noteworthy that some experts argue that if squirrels are not found in marten habitats, then martens can even leave this forest zone in search of food such as. However, recent studies by zoologists and scientists allow us to conclude that it is not entirely correct to think this way. Only in the zone coniferous taiga in winter period 44.5% of harvested martens were found to have squirrel residues in their stomachs. Whereas, in the summer, the marten may not even pay attention to them at all. Therefore, the relationship between squirrels and martens and whether the gastronomic preferences of the marten affect the fluctuation in the number of squirrels themselves - in fact, there is none. An exception can only be a picture when the number of martens is high and in order to provide food for themselves, they can begin to exterminate squirrels. In all other situations, the reason for the lack of squirrels (this is often complained by hunters who go for squirrels) are rather food reasons - the lack of basic food for this animal.

marten habits

Marten tracks

It is generally accepted that the marten is a fairly sedentary forest predator that can live within its forest range for years if it is not disturbed by other predators and hunters do not threaten its peace. It is noteworthy that each marten has its own area - its territory. Depending on the food supply of such a site and the predatory abilities of the animal, the territory can range from 1 to 25 square kilometers. And, where did the myth about the nomadic lifestyle of martens come from, you ask? So, this is most likely due to the fact that every year, in the fall, young martens settle in the forest, in search of their food site.

Reproduction of martens

Also, it will be useful to know that fluctuations in the number of such an animal as the pine marten occur slowly and with a small gap. So, the years of special abundance are once in 9-11 years, and they are explained by a combination of a number of favorable reasons for this. And, here, estrus and mating occur in the marten usually once a year, at the end of July, and this period lasts until the end of summer. However, not all martens are capable of breeding in the 2nd year of life - only 33-35%, while reaching 3 years old - all individuals already breed.

marten pregnancy

Pregnancy in a marten lasts 236-237 days and is divided into 2 periods. The first period includes 200 days and is latent and hidden. At this time, the embryos practically do not develop and they have not yet attached to the walls of the uterus. And, here is the second period of development - intensive, lasts only 27-28 days. And, as a rule, in late March-early April, pregnancy ends in childbirth. Moreover, in one litter there can be from 1 to 8 cubs, but most often it is 4-5 animals. Larger litters are observed only in favorable years that we wrote about above. However, the mortality rate of young martens is still quite high. And, only 39-58% of small martens live up to 1 year. True, concomitant factors also influence this, and not only the very early mortality of these small predators.

How many years do martens live

Zoologists say that the life expectancy of a marten can be up to 16 years, however, in nature, naturally, these predators live less. So, for example, the number of martens in the upper reaches of the Pechora River in 1957, which were more than 2 years old, was only ... 12% of the total number of individuals.

Where does the marten live

We already wrote above that these little predators do not live outside the forest. However, in order for the marten herself to feel calm and confident in the forest, she needs a good shelter. The marten itself does not build a nest, but does not mind occupying a hollow of a squirrel, or hiding in deep snow in a littered well or in a hollow of an old tree. Yes, martens still climb trees. And, although until recently it was generally believed that this was not the case, such a tree climber is really worth looking for. True, in some areas of its habitat, in view of the fact that there is no such need, the marten does not show such skills of climbing trees. Either a squirrel can drive a predator onto a tree - a marten will pursue it, or a dog - it will hide from its persecution on a tree. Moreover, females climb treetops more often than males.

What does the common marten that lives in our forests and mountains look like? If someone asks such a question, then you can usually make a description based on the appearance of a familiar object. Everyone has seen a bear, at least in the zoo and in the picture. So reduce the bear ten times, make his body long, slender and light. Do not forget to stretch and lighten the muzzle. Yes, the paws also need to be made small, light, but always clawed. This is where the marten will turn out.

Martens are predatory mammals from the weasel family

Martens are carnivorous mammals from the mustelid family. Their closest relatives, in addition to several types of martens proper, are:

• sable;
• mink;
• ermine;
• caress;
• solong;
• columns;
• ferret;
• dressing;
• charza;
• pecan;
• wolverine;
• badger;
• skunk;
• otter;
• sea ​​otter

Thus, the weasel family includes a very small weasel and a huge wolverine that looks more like a bear. However, all mustelids are agile, fast and strong predators.

The animals of this species are of medium height, in the sense that their parameters are in the middle between a giant wolverine and a dwarf weasel. The marten is a digitigrade, predatory animal with short five-fingered paws. The toes on the paws are located freely and armed with sharp claws, which allows the animal to easily and quickly climb trees. The muzzle of the marten is sharp with short ears, divided into 2 parts. Her body is long, slender, streamlined, well adapted for fast movement through trees and for sharp jumps over long distances.

The tail is relatively long, reaching half the length of the body in size. It differs from the squirrel's tail in the absence of a fan, which increases the streamlining of the body and the speed of movement through trees, as well as in the mountains over stones and rocks.

Only 2 types of martens live on the territory of Russia - forest and stone. The predominant species is the pine marten.

The color of the pine marten ranges from chestnut to dark brown with a yellowish rounded throat patch. In winter, the fur of the animal is long and silky, in summer it becomes shorter and stiffer.

Like many representatives of this family, the body of the pine marten is oblong with relatively short legs and hair on the feet. In length, the growth of the animal is about 50 cm, while the length of the tail does not exceed 28 cm, it weighs an average of about 1.5 kg. Males are usually a third heavier than females.

The marten is a digitigrade, predatory animal with short five-fingered paws.

Forest marten (video)

Food preferences of martens

To say that martens are predators is like saying nothing. Formally, predators include all animals that themselves kill other animals and immediately eat them. However, can a sundew plant be called a predator? Of course, you can, she kills animals herself and eats them herself. But is the sparrow a predator? Yes, it is also a predator terrifying for all sorts of goats.

The marten is a predatory animal without any reservations. She eats everything that runs, swims, flies, jumps, crawls. Its victims are:

• all murine;
• any bird that did not have time to dodge claws and teeth;
• proteins;
• chipmunks;
• other mustelids that are inferior in strength and size;
• all invertebrates.

The marten is a predatory animal without any reservations

The animal can even eat cubs of a fox, a wolf, a badger, a wild boar, if their parents have gone somewhere. However, the main food of martens are rodents and birds.

Firstly, the bodies of these animals are large enough to saturate the marten at least for a while. Secondly, there are enough of them to maintain the optimal number of these medium-sized predators.

Gallery: marten animal (25 photos)

Lifestyle and biotope

Forest martens fully meet their name. Everything in them is adapted to life on trees. Stone martens also got their name because of the way of life and confinement to certain biotopes. They can live perfectly among trees, but they feel just as good in open mountain spaces among rocks and stones.

And yet mustelids are originally forest dwellers. All their evolutionary changes are associated with changes in biotopes, in which the environmental role of trees gradually became less and less significant. The only exception to this rule is the wolverine, which is too big to jump on branches and easily fly from tree to tree.

All martens are able to climb and jump trees well, easily overcoming a distance of up to 4 m in a jump. complex structure tree, they are able to turn their feet 180°. Such plasticity is typical for all dart frogs.

If we talk about the composition of the forest where martens prefer to settle, then these are mostly mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. This confinement is due to the fact that here everyone little animal can find enough food. In such forests, mice, squirrels, chipmunks can feed on:

• nuts of coniferous plants;
• mushrooms;
• grass;
• root crops;
• acorns and fruits deciduous trees;
• invertebrate animals.

A good food base for animals is the so-called upland game, that is large birds that feed on needles, grains and grass. Various partridges, hazel grouses and even capercaillie are quite accessible for food to such a strong and resourceful predator as a marten.

The diet of the stone marten is somewhat different from that of the forest marten. However, the differences are not radical. Among mountain screes, mountain bunnies - pikas can become food. On the steppe areas, ground squirrels can replenish the food supply. For the rest, the basis of nutrition is all the same murines and birds.

Martens live in deciduous forests, especially in oak forests, since acorns and fruits of other deciduous trees attract squirrels, mice and birds.

However, the most acceptable biotope for the marten is the taiga and mixed forests. Here she finds not only food in abundance, but also secluded places for breeding.

Marten hunting for squirrel (video)

Shelters and territories

All martens prefer to settle in hollows. Hollow in the forest, but still quite alive and strong trees always in great short supply. In addition to martens, squirrels, chipmunks, birds (woodpeckers, pikas, nuthatches, tits, etc.) claim such hollows. Once upon a time, Far Eastern animals lived and wintered in them. white-breasted bears. Now when big trees have become an extremely rare occurrence, these bears are sometimes forced to spend the winter simply in a hole under a bush, which is not always compatible with the harsh Far Eastern winters.

Where the trees themselves become scarce, martens already live in minks among stones. Hence the name of the species - stone marten. In addition to the space between stones, this marten can use abandoned or reclaimed nests of large birds.

This beast can divide all shelters into places where you can sleep and sit out the bad weather, and into places where you can create a lair. Sometimes these concepts coincide, but the conditions for the den must be special.

Wood martens are animals with pronounced territorial behavior. In order to keep the site, it must be fenced off. Martens, like all mammals, do this with the help of smells. The marker is odorous substances secreted by the anal gland. The formation of odor boundaries is necessary, first of all, in order to fence off same-sex individuals. The territories of males and females may overlap.

Usually, males have a larger area of ​​their own than females. The size of the plots depends on the ability of the individual not only to apply scent marks along the periphery of the plot, but also to prove its right to this territory. A large individual can win a large area.

There are differences in the size of the plot and the seasons. In winter, the territories of individual individuals can be half as large as in summer. A small winter area is easier to defend in conditions of deep snow and less abundance of food.

Reproduction and fertility

Martens usually mate in the middle of summer, but the first cub does not appear until April next year. This is not due to a long period of pregnancy, but to such a phenomenon as semen conservation. After fertilization, the development of the embryo is delayed until favorable times. For most mammals, these times are spring and early summer. During the summer and autumn months, the cub will be able to grow up enough to safely endure the winter, and the next summer begin to pick up a mate for procreation.

On average, no more than 3 babies are born at a time. Each cub is no more than 10 cm long. For about 2 months, marten children are in the nest. Then they begin to go beyond it and explore the surroundings.

After 4 months home education, that is, by about September, the children of the marten become completely independent. However, this does not prevent them from accompanying their mother until next spring. By the next summer, young martens become fully sexually mature, but they usually breed in the third year of life.

These animals live in captivity for about 16 years. AT wild nature aging of the body does not allow them to safely obtain food and defend themselves from other predators, so their life span is estimated at no more than a dozen years.

Marten and man: facets of interaction

The relationship between humans and animals can be very different. Predators can pose a direct danger to human life or to farm animals. In this regard, martens somewhere in the Moscow region try to stay away from settlements. For human health and life, they do not pose any danger, except for the situation when the person himself forces the poor animal to defend itself and protect its offspring.

Of course, there is a possibility that in the winter starvation, the animal will climb into the chicken coop and take the chicken to its dense forest. However, this happens extremely rarely.

It is believed that the stone marten attacks chicken coops more often than its forest relative. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in the habitats of this species, the number of mice and other small animals and birds is much less than in mixed forests Eurasia.

There is another explanation for the arrivals of martens to where a person lives himself, stores his supplies and keeps domestic animals. This is destruction natural conditions the habitat of these animals.

The forests are getting smaller and the houses are getting bigger. At the same time, it is the zone of mixed forest that suffers the most, where the marten has still found food and shelter in sufficient quantities. Deforestation and development, of course, greatly destroy natural environment marten habitat. However, the pyrogenic factor can be recognized as the most destructive.

Crown fires destroy trees completely, forming grass or grass-shrub thickets instead of forests. In such conditions, pine martens cannot live. The surviving animals, if they have nowhere to migrate, try to feed, breed and spend the winter in the ashes. As a result, they are forced to visit people's homes, which usually also ends badly for them.

If the fires are grassroots (grass, bedding, shrubs, undergrowth) and frequent, trees get pyrotrauma. After a few years of such fire exposure, the tree can burn out and fall. So frequent ground fires lead to the same result as top fires. Only the process is slower. For martens and other arboreal animals, the result is the same - death from starvation, migration to forests that have not yet burned down, raids on rich human bins.

The conclusion is simple - do not destroy the marten biotope and it will bypass your dwellings. This animal loves to live in dense forest thickets, where there is something to feed on and where to hide. Leave him such thickets and he will not be interested in your household.

Attention, only TODAY!

The pine marten lives on large area Europe, also found in Mesopotamia and parts of Asia Minor.

Martens live only in wooded area. These animals can also live in the mountains, but only in those that have a forest.

Martens practically do not live in captivity. Because of this, they are rarely found in zoos. But the Germans managed to create conditions for martens in the zoo as close as possible to their natural habitat. But in other countries, few people manage to do this.

The appearance of the marten

The body length of the marten varies from 45 to 53 centimeters. Fluffy tail has a length of 20-25 centimeters.

The average weight is 1.5 kilograms. Males are slightly larger than females.

The animal has triangular ears with yellow trim. The color of the skin varies from dark brown to light brown. In winter, the fur is thicker and silkier than in summer.

The legs are short, they have inside hair cover. On the neck there is a rounded spot of yellowish color.

Behavior and nutrition of the marten

Martens are active at dusk and at night. During the day, the animals sleep in tree cavities or in large nests of raptors. Martens spend a lot of time on trees, so they can perfectly climb trunks and jump from one branch to another. They can jump up to 4 meters.

Martens also move quickly on the ground. Each individual owns its own allotment, the boundaries of which are marked with an odorous secret secreted from the anal glands. If the boundaries are violated by a stranger, then conflicts arise between the animals. But in females and males, the ranges may overlap. The area of ​​the territories may vary depending on the time of the year. So, in summer there are more plots than in winter time.

Listen to the marten's voice

Martens have sharp teeth, thanks to which they easily cope with animal and vegetable food. The diet of martens consists of voles, small birds and eggs.

Also, animals eat insects, reptiles and even carrion. The marten kills its victim by biting it on the back of the head. From vegetable food martens use berries, nuts and honey. In autumn, the animals store food for the winter.

Reproduction and lifespan

The gestation period for martens is 7 months. Babies are born in March-April. The female gives birth to 3-4 cubs, which weigh about 30 grams each.

After 4 months after birth, the offspring becomes independent, but remains with the mother until the next spring. Life expectancy in the wild is 8-9 years. In captivity, if suitable conditions for life are created, martens can live up to 16-18 years.

The forest is home to many different animals. Predators, mammals, birds, reptiles - not a complete list forest dwellers. A forest beauty wearing a coat of rare beauty the color of buckwheat honey is called a marten. It is also called jaundice.

Feature and description

This animal belongs to the marten family and the genus of martens, a nimble, graceful creature. In the process of hunting, the marten easily climbs trees, travels long distances and is able to hunt for a long time.

So what does a marten look like? The forest dweller belongs to predators, whose height does not exceed 50 cm. A short muzzle with a wide forehead, large ears with a rounded top crown the head. The nose is black, the eyes cast a reddish tint at night.

The body is elongated, flexible and slender. The limbs are small and short, the paws end in claws. In winter, the sole of the animal is overgrown with wool, which allows the animal not to fall into the snowdrifts. With such a physique, the marten easily overcomes obstacles in the form of branches, reacts with lightning speed to the appearance of prey. This animal is not subject to obesity, as it is constantly in motion.

On the neck of an animal, it is customary to consider light spot in the neck. Wood martens are considered a valuable fur-bearing animal, its fur is highly valued in the production and tailoring of fur coats and other fur products, so the marten is under the protection of the law.

Forest martens weigh relatively little - an adult does not exceed 2 kg. Females reach 1.5 kg, males are heavier and taller. Despite its small stature and weight, this animal has a powerful jaw with sharp teeth. The pine marten is able to gnaw through the tubular bones of its prey.

Habitat

An individual of this breed lives mainly in coniferous-beech forests. In the regions of Polissya, in mixed forests, the animal is most often found. The pine marten is able to survive even in high mountainous areas, the height of which is about 1800 meters above sea level.

The favorite place of residence of representatives of this species is considered to be woodlands untouched by man. Windbreak and hollows in old trees help the pine marten hide from danger, find warm place for wintering and just to rest.

Animals do not live in one place. They adhere to a nomadic lifestyle in order to rest during the day, the animal finds a suitable hollow higher and sleeps until dark. The animal hunts mainly at night., it is almost impossible to meet him during the day.

Representatives of this species live alone. Each individual is secretly assigned a certain area of ​​​​the territory that the animals diligently mark. The territory of females is somewhat smaller than the territory of males, sometimes the borders can be crossed.

In the wild, this species of predators has many enemies. They are considered to be:

1. Owl;
2. Lynx;
3. wolf;
4. hawk;
5. Fox;

Nutrition

To the question "What does a marten eat?" there's an answer. As mentioned earlier, representatives of this breed are predators. The diet of a representative of this species includes small warm-blooded animals and insects, such as:

• hares;
• proteins;
• rodents;
• shrews;
• beetles;
• some types of snakes (snakes);
• frogs;
• black grouse;
• grouse;

An important place in the diet of a charming predator is occupied by protein foods. natural source squirrels are insects. Dragonflies, all kinds of beetles complement the predator's meat diet.

In the cold season, when it becomes more and more difficult to eat every day, the pine marten can get as close as possible to a person’s dwelling. In this case, chickens and pigeons become victims of a predatory animal.

reproduction

Mating games in this species fall on the summer, warm time of the year. In this period of time, females are in heat, it lasts 2-4 days. There are not enough males for all the females, so the male mates with several females in turn.

In winter, males are characterized by false mating periods : at this time, aggressive males stick to females, but mating itself does not happen.

Pregnancy is very long, lasting about 274 days. In fact, the baby in the womb develops only 30-40 days, the rest of the time is occupied by the latent stage.

Before giving birth, the female begins to carefully prepare for the appearance of offspring. He chooses a place for arranging the nest, the nest is ready, the female remains in it until childbirth. Cubs are born in the month of April, weight does not exceed 40 g, 11 cm long. Newborn babies are blind and deaf at birth, hearing erupts on the 23rd day of life, they begin to see on the 28th day of life.

The mother tries not to leave the children, leaving the nest only for the duration of the hunt. If the cubs are in danger, the mother either carries the young pine martens to another place, or eats the entire brood.

For the first month and a half of life, the cubs feed only on mother's milk, they are rapidly gaining weight. After a month and a half, the grown cubs go hunting with their mother, actively explore the territory near their native nest.

Until autumn, the children live with their mother, then each begins an independent life. There were cases when cubs stay with their mother until spring. At the age of 2 years, representatives of mustelids are fully sexually mature. Conception usually occurs in the third year of life.

marten and man

The fur of this animal is extremely valuable, people, bypassing the law, exterminate representatives of this species for profit. Deforestation also contributes to the decline in the population of yellowbirds. in which the animal is comfortable to live in its natural environment.

Some people, for the sake of experiment, tried to keep the marten at home. Opinions were divided. Zheltodushka at home behaved differently. In some cases, she quickly got used to people, after a short time the animal fawned over the person and calmly accepted strokes and hugs. Some individuals did not express any interest in the person, they behaved as if there were no person at all in the environment of the yellowling. The third group of yellowlings behaved extremely aggressively, and the owners had to release the animal into its natural habitat.

Representatives of the marten genus live for about 14 years. Cases have been recorded when individual individuals lived up to 18 years.