Mammal · GBIF taxon 5218864
American Marten
Martes americanaAlso known as American Pine Marten, Pine Marten
American martens are agile, solitary predators that thrive in old-growth boreal forests across North America. Equipped with sharp claws and flexible ankle joints, they navigate dense tree canopies with extraordinary speed while hunting red squirrels and voles. During winter, these sleek hunters dive under deep snow packs into subnivean spaces to forage and stay warm in insulated dens.
ArborealCarnivoreBoreal
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Vole
- Red Squirrel
- Snowshoe Hare
Predators
- Great Horned Owl
- Fisher
- Lynx
ThreatsDeforestation, forest fragmentation, logging, overtrapping
HabitatsBoreal forests, mature coniferous and mixed woods
Life span6–10 years in the wild
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderCarnivora
- FamilyMustelidae
- GenusMartes
- SpeciesMartes americana
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Avoid cornering or handling; observe quietly from a safe distance.
Responsible observation
- Watch the Canopies: Scan the middle and upper limbs of mature conifer stands for quick rustling movement.
- Look for Winter Tracks: Search snowscapes for bounding paired paw prints near fallen logs and rock piles.
- Maintain Distance: Allow these spirited predators space to forage undisturbed without human intrusion.
Sister Species (c) Sam Eberhard, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sam Eberhard · cc-by
Old World Counterpart caroline legg / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Primary Prey (c) DaPuglet, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Mount Rainier National Park from Ashford, WA, United States / Public domain · cc0
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