All About Pine Martens - Pine Marten Facts & Information

This small, elusive animal is an animal that calls woodlands in Scotland, and some other parts of the UK, home. Populations in Northern England and North Wales are rare, so you would be lucky to spot a Pine Marten in England.

The Pine Marten Scientific name is Martes martes.

Appearance & Behaviour

Belonging to the Mustelidae family, the Pine Marten is a relative of some familiar faces, including the weasel, otter, and ferrets, and you can definitely see this resemblance in their appearance. 

With round ears, short legs and long bodies, it doesn’t get much cuter than this mammal, it’s only small (about the size of the cat) but it tends to be larger than its other family members, like the Weasel family. 

They have thick chestnut brown fur, that becomes a lighter colour during the winter, and a cream coloured big around their neck and chest. 

It’s common to see this creature climbing up trees, as this is one of their many talents, with a long bushy tail to help with balance and large claws and foot pads filled with fur to help them grip onto trees. 

Much like a cat, they are known to land on all fours - so it’s a rare sight to see Pine Martens not fall gracefully!

Pine Marten Population

In England and Wales, the Pine Marten is deemed critically endangered, but in Scotland, their population is of least concern.

Across the whole country, they are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and there are lots of reintroduction programmes taking place in Wales, the Lake District and the Forest of Dean, like the Pine Marten Recovery Project when Vincent Wildlife Trust carrying out a translocation of Pine Martens to Mid Wales from Scotland in 2015 to 2017.

This protection has even allowed the Pine Marten population to spread into Southern Scotland and over into some areas of Northern England.

Where do Pine Martens Live?

As their name suggests, Pine Martens mainly make home in conifer plantations and woodland habitats, spending the majority of their lives in pine trees, creating dens in natural cavities of old trees, or old Squirrel Dreys.

On the odd occasion, they will live in scrub, rocky areas too. Normally, Pine Martens are solo animals, living along and coming together in the Summer to breed. 

If you don't spot the animal, you might spot Pine Marten Scats (Poo) - these are dark and coiled, containing lots of berries.

Diet

Pine Martens are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night - so that’s when their hunting takes place too!

Although they are brilliant climbers, not all of their hunting takes place in the trees, in fact, a lot of it is done on the ground. The main food source of this animal is birds, insects and small mammals like voles and rabbits. Fungi, berries and eggs make up most of the Pine Marten's Summer diet.

Interestingly, there has been some evidence to suggest that, although bigger, they do hunt non native grey squirrels too - this could be really good news for the Native Red Squirrels!

Breeding Season

The Pine Martens follow a different pattern of breeding compared to other animals, they breed in the summer (July and August) but the young are born in March or April. This is because they use a process called ‘delayed implantation’ meaning the fertilised egg doesn’t implant until January. 

The main reason for this is to ensure Kits (Young Pine Martens) are born when there is a supply of food and the weather is warmer. 

Only during the mating season will you hear Pine Martens making a sound, so during the summer, listen out for a shrill cat-like sound, they also mate with multiple individuals across this period. 

In late March to early April, the female gives birds to a litter of 3-5 kits. They are born blind and covered in yellow fur. Before even venturing out, the Pine Martens spend six weeks in the den, and often don’t go on to claim their own home territory until around Autumn time!

Threats

Habitat loss is a big problem when it comes to the protection of this species, the loss of conifer woods leaves them without natural dens, and this makes them really vulnerable to predation from animals like foxes, golden eagles and wildcats.

Human activity also poses a threat, as they have been known to be hunted for sport and their fur!

Five Fun Facts

1. Pine martens can leap up to 4 meters between trees.

2. Pine Marten numbers are estimated to be around 3,700 to 4,000 individuals in the UK.

3. They typically weigh between 1.1 and 2.2 kilograms.

4. Pine martens have a territory range of up to 25 square kilometers.

5. They can live up to 10 years in the wild.