the mustelidae family

Part four the pine marten.

A while ago the pine marten was common throughout Britain,Now though it is uncommon.Trappings and persecution has led to the pine martens decline but its numbers are starting to increase again through better protection and sustainable habitat.Pine martens are nocturnal so they are mostly active at night in woodlands and cliffs,Sleeping through the day.Rich brown fur and a glorious brown bushy tail are two of its features along with the distinctive creamy-yellow throat and ears,It also has a pointed muzzle and large dark eyes.The male has an eighteen inch head and body with a nine inch tail,The female is slightly smaller than the male.The pine marten is bigger than a polecat.They make their dens in tree holes,old squirrel dreys and rocky crevices mainly in remote forests in Britain.Pine martens only breed once a year,Mating in July or august.But there is a delay in the implantation of the fertilized egg,The females do not become pregnant until about January,A litter of between one and four kits are born between march and April.Pine martens are excellent climbers,But mainly hunt on the ground,But they are agile enough to catch a squirrel amongst the trees branches and if the pine marten was to fall it can twist to land safely on all fours.Finding their prey by sight and sound.They eat a wide range of food,Depending on what is available from,rodents,birds,eggs,beetles,berries and a love for jam sandwiches.The kits are born blind,Opening their eyes when they are about six weeks old,For all of this time they spend it in the den with their mother,Once they are big enough to venture out of the den they stay together as a family for about six months.The kits grow quickly reaching adult size by their first summer.But remain paler than their mother until their winter moult comes through.Man is their biggest predator,But they don`t have many other enemies and can live up to ten years in the wild.