In what natural area does the American marten live. American marten. American marten and man

Martens are small mammals, representatives of a large mustelid (or marten) family. These small animals are widespread in many areas. Where the marten lives, there are forests. But not all representatives of this family can be found in Russian open spaces.

Of the martens living in America, the American marten itself and the ilka (fishing marten) are known. In the humid tropical jungles of South India, the Nilgiri harza is found, in the forests of Japan and Korea - the Japanese sable.

There are four types of martens in Russia - pine marten and stone marten, charza and sable. The most common of them is considered forest.

Let's dwell on it. Let's talk about where the marten lives, in which natural zone.

Description

A marten is a small graceful animal, similar in size to an ordinary cat. He has a characteristic triangular small muzzle, protruding rounded ears, strong wide paws with sharp claws that help him in moving through the trees. The pine marten has a characteristic yellow spot on the chest and neck. Often this spot can take the most bizarre shape. For this difference, the pine marten received a second name - yellow-hearted marten (or yellow-hearted marten).

In length, the marten's body is small and hardly exceeds 60 cm, while the animal has a rather long tail, which it uses as a balancer when jumping from tree to tree. The length of these flights-jumps can be about 4 meters (for the harza - up to 8 meters).

The marten has beautiful fur of different shades - from fawn to brown. In winter, the marten's fur coat is darker and thicker, and in the summer, during the molting process, it becomes lighter and shorter. In the light, the animal has small black eyes that glow with reddish lights in the dark.

Habitat of the marten

This animal was extremely widespread from the coldest regions of Siberia to the mountains of Scotland and Ireland. To the south, its range even entered the Transcaucasian and Mediterranean regions.

Where does the marten live in Russia today? The pine marten is found in forests with strong tall trees up to the Ural Mountains, as well as in Siberia and the Caucasus. Occasionally it can be found in city parks. In the steppes with forest belts of Western Siberia, the habitats of the pine marten intersect with the habitats of another marten, the sable.

The marten prefers the upper tiers of both lowland and mountain forests. Where the marten lives, there are many coniferous trees, there are both fallen trunks and a young forest, as well as edges and clearings. In monolithic rocky areas, where there is little vegetation and no sources, the marten is not found.

Animal habits

Most often martens live alone. Males live in areas of about two and a half hectares, females occupy smaller territories. These animals do not create permanent dwellings and shelters; they unite in pairs only during the breeding season.

They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. Having sated, in the daytime the animal rests in old nests or hollows, preferring not to descend to the ground. The pine marten does not hibernate, but if cold weather sets in, it stocks up in its shelter and waits out the bad weather. Can change the location of housing, moving from one to another.

The marten is an excellent hunter. It has excellent vision, smell and hearing. The marten, wandering in search of prey, can “explore” vast territories, it deftly climbs trees, makes jumps, often grabbing prey on the fly, and easily makes its way along the branches through the crown of trees. But the marten swims badly, doing it only in extreme cases and reluctantly.

Like any predator, the marten is a cautious creature, but it does not feel fear of a person. Sometimes, hunting for squirrels, it can also penetrate urban park areas. But in the immediate vicinity of a person, the pine marten still tries not to live.

The life expectancy of mustelids is about ten years in the wild.

What does a marten eat

In the choice of food, the marten is not particularly picky, its diet consists of rodents, birds, their eggs, as well as amphibians and insects, up to grasshoppers. Hunting along the banks of reservoirs, this animal will catch fish and a water rat. On occasion, it will feast on honeycombs, extracting them from the hives of wild bees, as well as nuts, seeds and wild berries.

Such omnivorousness helps the marten survive when there is a "crop failure" for representatives of small fauna and there is no choice. But the Russian pine marten still prefers to hunt for squirrel, hare, hazel grouse, capercaillie. But the taiga marsh - on small deer (musk deer and roe deer).

The marten is a rather voracious animal. Having raided the chicken coop, she can strangle all the chickens, although she will drag off only one.

Reproduction and young

The marten's rut ​​occurs in the second half of summer; in March, the female brings up to five (occasionally up to seven) cubs. Little martens are blind, deaf and hairless at birth. Only a month later they begin to see clearly, and a little earlier they acquire the first fur coat. Soon, the young begin to taste the meat that the female brings him, and after two months, the first acquaintance with the outside world will take place - the martens begin to climb trees and try to hunt.

By mid-late summer, the female begins the next rut, and the mother abandons her puppies. Some of them leave to develop new territories, someone remains in place.

marten hunting

In ancient Russia, the marten was considered not just a valuable prey, its skins were used as a monetary unit and were called "kuna". The most skillful hunters could pursue the marten for a long time, moving away from them along the tops of the trees. Today, such hunting masters cannot be found, although in some areas of Siberia and beyond the Urals - where the marten lives - it is still considered a commercial species.

Hunting for a marten, in particular for a sable, today is subject to strict limits, since the number of all types of animals is limited in their range.

It is not advisable to hunt this animal with traps - the fur will be spoiled. Hunting with dogs is recognized as the best way. For example, the Evenks usually hunt sable with the help of their riding huskies.

Domestication of the marten

It is believed that puppies brought from the forest in captivity take root difficult. Some types of mustelids are difficult to tame. Sometimes these animals require special conditions of detention. After all, it is an energetic, mobile animal. Where the marten likes to live, there should be trees, hidden loopholes, hollows. A cage is not suitable for a growing animal, it needs a spacious aviary in which all these signs of a free life will be present.

However, the marten can still be domesticated. With a sufficiently comfortable content in captivity, the life expectancy of the animal will double.

Other types of marten

Where the pine marten lives in Russia, you can also meet other representatives of the marten family, namely the stone marten, marten and sable.

The stone marten in habits, lifestyle and nutrition is similar to the forest marten, only slightly larger in size. She also has a spot on her chest, but white (hence the name - white-haired).

A feature of the white-haired animal is that this animal easily adapts to the human neighborhood, not particularly suffering from its economic activities, and can even live in the attic and basement of stone houses. The white-tailed duck is considered a harmful animal, since it is capable of attacking small birds kept in farms in search of prey, damaging wall insulation, cables and hoses.

Kharza is one of the largest mustelids. Where does this species of marten live? Kharza is found in the Ussuri taiga and the Amur region (and outside the Russian borders - in India, China, Pakistan, Indochina and Indonesia). This is a rather large and whimsically colored animal.

Harza can be easily recognized by the black color of the head, muzzle and white lower jaw. The coat of the body of the animal is of the original golden-brown color (sometimes they even talk about an orange tint), the tail and legs are dark. On the chest - a yellow spot common to representatives of many mustelids.

Kharza is considered one of the most powerful and agile predators on its territory, it has practically no natural enemies. When hunting, it causes damage to useful animals - musk deer, roe deer, raccoon dog, squirrel, and sable.

Unlike the marten, the marten is a social animal; it prefers to stay and rest in families.

And of course, talking about the marten, one cannot but recall the owner of the most luxurious fur among marten - sable. This is one of the characteristic inhabitants of the Russian taiga - from the Urals to the Pacific coasts. The colors of the sable pelt range from the darkest (and most valuable) to fawn and almost white. There is often a spot on the neck that does not extend below.

The entire economy of Siberia used to be based on the production of this fur-bearing animal. As a result, its numbers have been greatly reduced, sable for some time was under the threat of extinction. Today, scientists and hunters have managed to bring the size of the sable population to an optimal level.

Like all martens, the sable is a strong and agile predator. However, unlike the pine marten, it prefers to stay close to the ground. Rarely rises to the tops of trees. This species of marten lives where cedar forests grow, there are elfins, and along mountain rivers. Shelters are often found in low-lying tree cavities, pits under tree roots, and crevices in rocky outcrops. It goes hunting not only at night, but also during the day.

The marten is a representative of a large marten family. It is an agile and nimble predator, capable of easily overcoming various obstacles in pursuit of prey, climbing the upper canopy of the forest and climbing tree trunks. The animal marten belongs to valuable fur-bearing animals and has beautiful noble fur from dark chestnut to brownish-yellow hues.

Animal marten: description

The marten is an animal with thick and soft fur that can be dyed in various shades of brown.(dark brown, chestnut, brownish yellow). On the neck, the marten has a yellow throat spot, round in shape. Paws are short, five-fingered. The fingers have claws. The muzzle is sharp. Ears - short, triangular, with a yellow stripe along the edge. The body is slender, squat, slightly elongated (from 45 cm to 58 cm). The tail is fluffy, long, reaching half the marten's body (from 16 cm to 28 cm in length). Body weight - from 800 g to 1.8 kg. Females are on average 30 percent lighter than males. Winter marten fur is much silkier and longer than summer fur, and summer fur is stiffer and shorter than winter fur.

Types of martens

In nature, there are several types of martens, which each live in their own geographical and climatic zones, spreading strictly within their own ranges.

• Martes americana - the American marten is included in the category of rare animals, outwardly resembles a pine marten, a nocturnal predatory animal.
• Martes pennanti - ilka occupies hollow trees, preferring to stick to coniferous forest plantations.
• Martes foina - stone marten inhabits an extremely large area, more often than other species it is an object of hunting for fur production.
• Martes martes - pine marten is very common in Europe and Eurasia, is a source of quality fur.
• Martes gwatkinsii - Nilgiri marten is a unique animal that occupies the southern zones.
• Martes zibellina - sable is an old object of hunting, sometimes forms a hybrid species called kidus (a cross between a marten and a sable).
• Martes flavigula - charza belongs to the category of Asian inhabitants, occupying vast areas there.
• Martes melampus - Japanese marten is a source of fur in the territory of the main Japanese islands.

Marten habitats

The American marten is found throughout the American continent. Ilka occupies a niche in the North American forests, meeting from the Appalachians (West Virginia) to the Sierra Nevada (California). The stone marten inhabits the vast majority of the Eurasian continent - its habitat ranges from the Himalayas and Mongolia to the Iberian Peninsula. Specially brought to Wisconsin (USA). The pine marten covers almost all European countries: it can be found from Western Siberia to the British Isles in the north and from Elbrus and the Caucasus to the Mediterranean in the south. The Nilgiri marten inhabits the southern part of India, living in the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri highlands. Sable is an inhabitant of the Russian taiga, which occupies the territory from the Pacific Ocean to the Urals.

Kharza is found on the Korean Peninsula, China, Turkey, Iran, the Himalayan foothills, Indochina, Hindustan, the Malay Peninsula and the Greater Sunda Islands. It is also widely represented in Pakistan, Nepal, Georgia, Afghanistan. It is also found on the territory of Russia, occupying the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, Sikhote-Alin, the Ussuri River basin and the Amur Region. The Japanese marten originally inhabits the 3 main islands of Japan - Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu. It also lives on Tsushima, in Korea, on the islands of Sado and Hokkaido. In Russia, there are mainly such types of martens as sable, pine marten, stone marten and marten.

marten habits

The physique of the marten directly affects its habits: this animal can only move stealthily or abruptly (at the time of running). The flexible body of the marten works like an elastic spring, which is why the fleeing animal flickers only for a moment in the gaps in the paws of coniferous trees. The marten prefers to stay in the middle and upper forest layers. Deftly climbs trees, climbing even upright trunks, which she can do with rather sharp claws.

The marten leads a predominantly diurnal lifestyle, hunting on the ground and spending most of the time in the trees. The marten equips housing in hollows of trees up to 16 meters high or directly in their crown. The marten not only avoids a man, but hides from him. It leads a sedentary life, without changing its chosen habitat even with a shortage of food. But occasionally it can roam after squirrels, which periodically undertake mass migrations over long distances.

In the zone of forests occupied by martens, two types of areas are distinguished: passage areas, where they are occasionally, and daily hunting areas, on which martens spend most of their time. In summer and autumn, sometimes martens develop an exceptionally small part of their hunting grounds, living for a long time in places where food is most concentrated. In winter, these boundaries are greatly expanded due to lack of food, and active fattening routes appear in martens. Most often they visit places such as shelters and feeding grounds, marking them with urine.

Where does the marten live

With all its way of life, the marten is connected with the forest. It is found in many forest lands where different trees grow, but most of all it prefers spruce, pine forests and coniferous plantations close to them. In the northern regions, these are spruce-fir forests, in the southern regions, spruce-broad-leaved forests, and in the Caucasian region, fir-beech forests.

For permanent habitat, the marten chooses cluttered areas of large forests with tall trees, old forest, which is mixed with medium-sized areas of young undergrowth, with long edges, and forest areas with undergrowth and clearings. But it can also settle in flat areas, in mountain forests, where it is found in the valleys of large streams and rivers. Some varieties of marten do not avoid rocky areas and placers. They try to stay away from human habitats, penetrating into settlements only through park areas. The only exception is the stone marten, which often settles directly in cities and villages.

What does a marten eat

Martens are omnivores, but most often they eat small mammals (such as mice, voles and squirrels), birds and their eggs. They are distinguished by the fact that they are interested in rats, as a subject of hunting, which cats try to bypass due to their large size. Martens and carrion, insects, snails, frogs, reptiles do not disdain. In autumn martens willingly feed on nuts, berries and fruits. At the end of summer and throughout autumn, martens lay food in reserve, which will be useful to them in the cold season.

The American marten (Martes americana) is considered a representative of the mustelid family, it belongs to predatory mammals. It differs from the pine martens living in Europe in larger paws and a lighter muzzle.

Description of the American marten

The American marten has a tail of good length, fluffy, it accounts for a third of the total length of the entire body of the animal, which ranges from 54 to 71 cm in males and from 49 to 60 cm in females. The weight of martens also varies from 0.5 to 1.5 kg.

Appearance

The similarity of this species of martens with others is easy to trace: the body of the American marten is elongated, slender, the fur of a healthy individual is thick, sparkling, brown. Also, animals of this species can have light brown or dark red fur. The neck below (shirtfront) is yellowish, but the paws and tail are darker. The ears are small and rounded.

It is interesting! The nose protrudes sharply, pointed, in a narrow mouth there are 38 sharp teeth. Two dark stripes cross the muzzle vertically to the eyes.

The claws of the animal are semi-elongated and sharp - in order to move well along the branches and trunks of trees, they are crooked in shape. Large feet help to move on the snow cover, and paws are short, have five fingers. There is a noticeable similarity between American martens and c - the body structure allows you to see common features. Females are lighter and smaller than males.

Lifestyle, behavior

The American marten is a dexterous, but cautious hunter, shy, avoids people, does not like open spaces. It escapes from large predators in trees, where it can quickly and deftly climb in case of danger. These martens are most active in the early morning hours, in the evening and at night. Almost all year round you can see these animals in splendid isolation, with the exception of the mating season. Representatives of both sexes have their own territories, which they zealously protect from the encroachments of other members of their species.

Martens mark their “kingdom” with the help of a secret secreted from the glands located on the abdomen and in the anus, leaving their scent marks on tree branches, stumps and other hills. Males can cover a territory of 8 km 2 in size, females - 2.5 km 2. The area of ​​these “possessions” is affected by the size of the individual, as well as the presence of the necessary feed and fallen trees, other voids that are important for the living of martens and living creatures included in its diet.

It is interesting! It is noteworthy that the areas of males and females can intersect and partially overlap each other, but the territories of same-sex martens do not coincide with each other, since each male or female zealously defends their “lands” from encroachments of another representative of their sex.

At the same time, the male can also make attempts to seize someone else's territory in order to increase his hunting grounds. The marten makes a tour of its “possessions” approximately every decade.

Martens do not have a permanent home, but they can have more than a dozen shelters on their territory in the voids of fallen trees, hollows, burrows - martens can hide in them from bad weather or hide if necessary. It is also interesting that these animals can lead both sedentary and nomadic lifestyles, and most of the young roam, having just embarked on an independent path in life, probably to search for territories unoccupied by other individuals or in search of areas rich in food. .

Since American martens are hermits, they hunt alone, moving nimbly along the branches at night or twilight and, overtaking their potential food, attack from behind in the back of the head, biting the spine. Martens have a well-developed hunting instinct, and moving along the branches of trees helps these predators go unnoticed by small animals searching for their food on the ground.

Range, habitats

These nimble predatory mammals live mainly in the old mixed and dark coniferous forests of Canada, Alaska, as well as the northern part of the United States. The habitat of American martens can be old coniferous forests of spruce, pine, other conifers, as well as mixed forests of deciduous and coniferous trees, which include white pine, spruce, birch, maple and fir. These old forests attract martens with many fallen trees in which they prefer to settle. Currently, there is a tendency for American martens to colonize young and uneven-aged forests of a mixed type.

American marten diet

These predatory animals are endowed by nature with good qualities that help them in hunting, since meat occupies a predominant place in their diet. So, at night, martens can successfully grab squirrels in nests, and in winter they have the opportunity to dig long tunnels under the snow in search of mouse-like rodents. An excellent delicacy for them are also rabbits, chipmunks, partridges, frogs, other amphibians and reptiles, as well as fish and insects. Carrion and even fruits and vegetables can enter the diet of these animals in case of insufficient amount of animal feed in the territory of residence. Martens will not refuse from the eggs of birds, as well as their chicks, from mushrooms, seeds and honey.

It is interesting! It should be said that these animals have excellent appetite, absorbing about 150 g of food per day, but they can do with less.

But it also takes them a lot of energy to get the desired amount of food - martens can cover a distance of more than 25 kilometers per day, while making numerous jumps along tree branches and on the ground. And if the prey of martens shows the main activity in the daytime, then in this case the marten can also change its mode and also conduct daytime hunting. The marten can hide large prey in reserve.

natural enemies

The natural enemies of the American marten may be larger predatory animals and birds. However, man poses a great danger to the life of these animals due to his influence on nature and hunting for fur.

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 total length of the animal. The ears are small, rounded, the nose is sharply protruding. The paws are short, with five toes on each paw. The claws are sharp, curved, adapted for climbing trees. The eyes are big. The fur is long and shiny. Males are heavier and larger than females.

Color: fur is brown, with shades 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.

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

The weight: 500-1500

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 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.

Behavior: mostly nocturnal mammal, but 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.

social structure: 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.
Marking of animals showed that some of them live settled, while others are nomadic (mostly young animals).

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.

Season/breeding period: July August.

Puberty: at 15-24 months, give birth to cubs usually 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 day 26, and eyes after 39. Lactation lasts up to 2 months. At 3-4 months, puppies can already get their own food.

Benefit / harm to 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, one skin paid $100, but now the price is $12-$20 per skin.

Population/conservation status : Hunting and habitat loss (logging) have led to population decline, but the species is not currently threatened.
Many American martens die in rabbit traps.

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American marten (lat. Martes americana) is a small predatory animal from the mustelidae family (lat. Mustelidae) that lives 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, the animals have adapted to life in mixed forests with a predominance of spruce. They also took root in deciduous forests dominated by birches, maples and beeches.

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.

The 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 intensely marks the boundaries of the territory it occupies with secretions of odorous glands located on the abdomen and near the anus, therefore 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 the summer, 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 the cold of winter, 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 ends in July-August with the beginning of the 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 unusually playful and so restless that their mother takes them to a new den on the ground to protect them from falling from a tall tree.

At 3.5 months, young martens reach the size of an 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 of 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 expectancy of the American marten in the wild reaches 12-15 years.