Where does the American marten live? The American marten is a furry animal. Range, habitats
Animals are most active in the early morning, late afternoon and at night. Outside the mating season, they lead a hermitic lifestyle. Males defend their territories of about 8 square kilometers, which overlap with the territories of females, which are about 2.5 square kilometers. There is a lot of aggression between animals of the same sex. Marked animals showed that some live settled, while others are nomadic. Nomads usually include young animals that have become independent.
Martens are very agile. They easily jump through the trees from branch to branch, marking the path of movement with the smell of their glands. The abdominal and anal scent glands are well developed and are a characteristic feature of all representatives of the weasel family. These predators are well adapted to climbing trees, where they catch squirrels in 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.
The American marten is similar to other martens - it has a long, slender body covered with shiny, brownish fur. The throat is yellowish, the tail is long and fluffy. Similar to cats, it has semi-stretched claws that make it easier to climb trees, as well as relatively large feet, suitable for more snowy areas.
The habitat of American martens is dark coniferous forests: old coniferous forests of spruce, pine and other trees, as well as 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 at rest, after which the pregnancy is 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 in them occurs at 15-24 months, and the birth of cubs is usually at 3 years. Males do not take any part in raising offspring.
Order - Carnivora / Suborder - Dog-like / Family - Mustelids / Subfamily - Mustelids
History of study
The American marten (lat. Martes americana) is a rare species of the marten family, outwardly similar to the pine marten.
Spreading
The habitat of the American marten is Canada, North America.
Appearance
The American marten has soft and thick fur, ranging in color from pale yellow to reddish to dark brown. The neck of the animal is pale yellow, while the tail and legs are dark brown. There are two black lines on the muzzle running vertically from the eyes. Fluffy long tail is one 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.
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.
The breeding season lasts from July to August. Puberty occurs at 15-24 months, usually give birth to cubs at 3 years.
Pregnancy lasts an average of 267 days. 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.
Lifestyle
The habitat of the American marten is 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.
It is mainly a nocturnal mammal, but is also 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.
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. The marking of the animals showed that some of them live settled, while others are nomadic (mostly young animals).
Nutrition
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.
population
Hunting and loss of habitats (logging) have led to a decrease in the population, but the existence of the species is currently not threatened.
Many American martens die in rabbit traps.
American marten and man
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.
The American marten (Latin name - Martes americana) is a rather rare representative of the marten family.
This little predator can be found in the forests of Canada, the USA and Alaska. Previously, the American marten was much more numerous, but due to the value of its skin to humans, its populations have been significantly reduced.
This is also affected by the disappearance of the forests themselves, where the marten lives. Now animal rights activists and biologists are working to restore the number of populations in US reserves.
Appearance of the American marten
The American marten is similar to the pine marten. And the shape of the body resembles. But it differs from the latter in tougher fur, and from the pine marten in wider feet and a lighter muzzle.
The marten has a long (from 50 to 70 centimeters), very flexible body. The special beauty of this predator is a fluffy tail, which is a third of the entire length.
The paws are short, five-fingered, they end in curved sharp claws that help the predator climb trees and get food. The marten's eyes are dark, large, shiny. The ears are also quite large, rounded at the top. Males are larger than females. The weight of martens ranges from 500 grams to one and a half kilograms.
The marten is a small furry animal. The coat is shiny and long. The main color of the fur is brown, but in different individuals it can vary from light brown to dark red. The belly and muzzle of the animal, as a rule, are lighter than the back. On the chest - a small area with cream wool. Paws and tail are dark brown or almost black. Two thin black lines descend from the eyes to the nose.
marten lifestyle
American martens prefer dark coniferous forests - dense, with many fallen trees in which the marten can hide and which are ideal for its nest. However, these martens are also found in mixed forests, although rarely. They lead a solitary life. They hunt mainly at night, at dusk or before dawn. Can hunt during the day. This predator is extremely agile, it easily moves through the trees, jumping from branch to branch.
But the skill of the poison dart frog was developed by the martens not in order to get their own food on the trees, since the martens hunt mainly on the ground. But from a height, firstly, the prey is more visible, and secondly, the predator itself is so less noticeable to the victim. The peak of activity is observed in the marten in the wee hours, when the prey emerge from their burrows in search of food.
Listen to the voice of the American marten
The marten hunts for mice, rabbits, small birds. Moreover, in search of voles, the marten can lay long tunnels under the snow. The marten kills the victim, as a rule, with a lightning-fast bite to the neck or the back of the head, breaking her backbone.
The marten is a predatory animal. The marten is able to swim, including underwater. There she also catches prey - frogs, fish. If it turned out to be a hungry year, the marten does not disdain even carrion and plant foods. It can feast on seeds, mushrooms and even honey.
Each marten has its own hunting grounds, which it completely bypasses about once every 10 days. The area of an individual territory depends on the abundance of food, the presence of fallen trees, and the size of the animal itself. When meeting strangers - other martens encroaching on their territory, American martens ruthlessly drive out, entering into battle. Young individuals, in order to find rich places for hunting that are not occupied by adults, can roam over fairly long distances.
The enemies of the American martens are primarily people who cut down forests and destroy the martens themselves for their skins. But also martens can become victims of larger predatory mammals and birds. In addition, the enemy of the marten is often its own curiosity, thanks to which it falls into traps and traps set on other animals.
The life expectancy of a marten is approximately 10-15 years.
Reproduction of the American marten
The rutting period lasts for the American marten for two months. At this time, usually living alone, males meet with females. The second half of the marten is found by smell, leaving special marks with the help of a secret secreted from the anal glands. Predators communicate with each other with sharp sounds, cries resembling a giggle.
Interestingly, after mating, fertilized embryos begin to develop only after 6-7 months of the so-called latent pregnancy. The very development of the embryos lasts for two months. After the act of mating and fertilization, the embryos do not develop immediately, but only after 6-7 months. Thus, the total gestation period is about 267 days.
Puppies are born in March-April. As a rule, 3-4 of them are born, but in rare cases there are up to seven in a litter. The father does not participate in the rearing of the offspring. In order to give birth and hatch offspring, marten females build nests in fallen trees, hollow logs, lining the bottom with soft grass.
The American marten is a master of long runs. Puppies are born blind and deaf, weighing only about 30 grams. A month later, their eyes open, their ears begin to distinguish sounds. Mother's milk kunyat eat within two months. Then the mother begins to bring them animal food and teaches them to hunt. By four months, puppies are already able to get their own food.
The American marten is able to travel up to 25 kilometers per day, while making about 30 thousand jumps of about 60 centimeters, both on the ground and in trees.
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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. 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, the 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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| Kingdom: | Animals |
| Type: | chordates |
| Class: | mammals |
| Squad: | Predatory |
| Family: | Kunya |
| Genus: | Martens |
| View: | American marten |
Turton, 1806
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uselang=ru)) |
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conservation status IUCN 3.1 Least Concern: |
American marten(lat. martes americana listen)) is a rare species of the marten family, outwardly similar to the pine marten. The American marten has soft and thick fur, ranging in color from pale yellow to reddish to dark brown. The neck of the animal is pale yellow, while the tail and legs are dark brown. There are two black lines on the muzzle running vertically from the eyes. Fluffy long tail is one 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
“Oh-oh-oh, what a hundred-oh is this?! ..” the boy clapped his hands in delight. - It's a dlaconsik, right? Like in a fairy tale - dlakonsik? .. Oh, how beautiful he is!“I also had a gift, Svetlana ...” the neighbor whispered softly. “But I won’t let my son suffer the same way.” I have already suffered for both ... He must have another life! ..
I even jumped in surprise!.. So she saw?! And I knew?! .. - here I just burst out of indignation ...
"Didn't you think he might have the right to choose for himself?" It's his life! Just because you couldn't handle it doesn't mean he can't either! You have no right to take away his gift from him even before he realizes that he has it! .. This is like murder - you want to kill a part of him that he has not even heard of yet! .. - hissed indignantly at I am her, but inside I just "stand on end" from such a terrible injustice!