American Marten: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Otters and Weasels · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Look for the bib: a patch on its throat and chest that can be anything from pale straw to bright orange.
2. Martens are snow experts. In deep snow their tracks rarely sink more than 5 cm, and they can travel along tunnels under the snow.
3. With little body fat, a marten loses heat fast. On winter days it may slip into a light, sleep-like state called torpor to save warmth.
4. Martens plant berries. In Alaska, blueberry seeds that passed through a marten's gut sprouted better than seeds that just fell from the bush.
5. Mothers raise their kits in tree hollows, logs or even old red squirrel nests, and line the den with grass, moss and leaves.

The quiz

1. What colour can the marten's throat bib be?

• Bright blue
• Pale straw to vivid orange (correct)
• Black with white spots
• Green with stripes

The bib ranges from pale straw to vivid orange.

2. How deep do a marten's tracks usually sink into deep snow?

• About 1 m
• About 50 cm
• About 2 m
• Rarely more than 5 cm (correct)

Martens move over deep snow with tracks seldom sinking past 5 cm.

3. How can a marten save heat on winter days?

• It slips into a light torpor (correct)
• It grows a thick layer of fat
• It basks on hot rocks
• It shares a den with bears

With little fat, it may go into shallow torpor daily in winter.

4. What happened to blueberry seeds that passed through martens in Alaska?

• They were all destroyed
• They turned bright red
• They sprouted better (correct)
• They were stored in dens

Those seeds germinated better than seeds that simply fell from the plant.

5. What does a mother marten line her den with?

• Grass, moss and leaves (correct)
• Mud and stones
• Snow and ice
• Feathers and string

She lines the den cavity with grass, moss and leaves.

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