Pine marten - description, habitat, way of life. Behavioral characteristics and lifestyle of martens What martens eat at home

The forest is home to many different animals. Predators, mammals, birds, reptiles - far from full list forest inhabitants. The forest beauty, wearing a fur coat of rare beauty the color of buckwheat honey, is called a marten. It is also called the wallflower.

Characteristics and description

This animal belongs to the mustelidae family and the marten genus, a nimble, graceful creature. During the hunt, the marten easily climbs trees, covers long distances and is able to hunt for a long time.

So, what does a marten look like? The forest dweller is a predator, whose height does not exceed 50 cm. A short muzzle with a wide forehead, the head is crowned big ears having a rounded top. The nose is black, the eyes have a reddish tint at night.

The body is elongated, flexible and slender. The limbs are small and short, the paws end in claws. In winter, the sole of the animal is overgrown with hair, which allows the animal not to fall into the snowdrifts. With such a physique, the marten easily overcomes obstacles in the form of branches and reacts with lightning speed to the appearance of prey. This animal is not susceptible to obesity, as it is constantly on the move.

On the neck of an animal, a distinctive sign is considered to be light spot in the neck area. Pine martens are considered a valuable fur-bearing animal; its fur is highly valued in the production and tailoring of fur coats and other fur products, therefore the marten is protected by law.

Pine martens weigh relatively little - an adult does not exceed 2 kg. Females reach 1.5 kg, males are heavier and taller. Despite its small height and weight, this animal has a powerful jaw with sharp teeth. The pine marten is capable of chewing through the tubular bones of its prey.

Habitat

An individual of this breed lives mainly in coniferous-beech forests. In the regions of Polesie, in mixed forests, the animal is most common. The pine marten is able to survive even in high mountain areas, the altitude of which is about 1800 meters above sea level.

The favorite habitat of representatives of this species is considered to be forest areas untouched by humans. Windbreaks and hollows in old trees help the pine marten to hide from danger and find warm place for wintering and just to take a break.

Animals do not live in one place. They adhere to a nomadic lifestyle. In order to rest during the day, the animal finds a suitable hollow higher up and sleeps until dark. The animal hunts mainly at night, during the day it is almost impossible to meet him.

Representatives of this species live alone. Each individual is secretly assigned a certain area of territory, which the animals diligently mark. The territory of females is somewhat smaller than that of males, sometimes the boundaries can overlap.

IN wildlife This type of predator has many enemies. These are usually referred to as:

Owl;
Lynx;
Wolf;
Hawk;
Fox;

Nutrition

To the question “What does a marten eat?” there is an answer. As mentioned earlier, representatives of this breed are predators. The diet of this species includes small warm-blooded animals and insects, such as:

hares;
proteins;
rodents;
shrews;
beetles;
some types of snakes (snakes);
frogs;
black grouse;
hazel grouse;

Protein food occupies an important place in the diet of this charming predator. Natural source squirrels are insects. Dragonflies and all kinds of beetles supplement the predator's meat diet.

In the cold season, when it becomes more and more difficult to eat every day, the pine marten can get as close as possible to a person’s home. In this case, the victims of the predatory animal are chickens and pigeons.

Reproduction

Mating in this species occurs in the warm summer season. During this period of time, females experience estrus; it lasts 2-4 days. There are not enough males for all the females, so the male mates with several females in turn.

In winter, males are characterized by false mating seasons : at this time, aggressive males pester females, but mating itself does not happen.

Pregnancy is very long, lasting about 274 days. In fact, the baby develops in the womb for only 30-40 days, the rest of the time is occupied by the latent stage.

Before giving birth, the female begins to carefully prepare for the appearance of offspring. Selects a place to build a nest. The nest is ready, the female remains in it until giving birth. Cubs are born in the month of April, weight does not exceed 40 g, length is 11 cm. Newborn babies are blind and deaf at birth, hearing emerges on the 23rd day of life, they begin to see on the 28th day of life.

The mother tries not to abandon her children, leaving the nest only during the hunt. If the cubs are in danger, the mother either carries the little ones pine martens to another place, or eats the entire brood.

For the first month and a half of life, the cubs feed only on their mother's milk, and they rapidly gain weight. After a month and a half, the grown cubs go hunting with their mother and actively explore the territory near their native nest.

Until autumn, children live with their mother, then each begins an independent life. There have been cases where the cubs remain with their mother until spring. At the age of 2 years, representatives of mustelids are fully sexually mature. Conception usually occurs in the third year of life.

Marten and man

The fur of this animal is extremely valuable; people, bypassing the law, exterminate representatives of this species for profit. Deforestation is also contributing to the decline in the yellowjacket population., in which the animal is comfortable living in its natural environment.

Some people, as an experiment, tried to keep martens at home. Opinions were divided. Yellowfly behaved differently at home. In some cases, she quickly got used to people, after short time the animal fawned over the person and calmly accepted stroking and hugs. Some individuals did not express any interest in the person and behaved as if there was no person in the environment of the wallflower. The third group of yellowjackets behaved extremely aggressively, and the owners had to release the animal into its natural environment habitat.

Representatives of the mustelid genus live about 14 years. Cases have been recorded of some individuals living up to 18 years of age.

The marten inhabits European forests. This large animal has very lush and soft fur. On the back it is gray-brown in color, on the sides it becomes lighter. In the area of the animal’s larynx there is a spot of bright red color. In winter, the spot darkens.

Martens inhabit mixed and taiga landscapes, where there is a lot of dead wood. The marten builds its homes at a considerable height in hollows. She climbs trees well, jumps on them, from branch to branch. Her bushy ponytail acts as a parachute. Martens are good swimmers and runners. They can move with lightning speed on the ground and deep loose snow. She doesn't fall through the snow, because her paws are in winter time well furred.

This animal is very dexterous and strong. It hunts large birds (grouse, hare), and also feeds on rodents, birds, frogs and squirrels. And in the summer the animal feasts on berries and loves rowan. She devastates the nests of birds and animals.

In mid-summer, these animals begin their mating season. Then after this, the female gives birth to up to 8 children. Babies are born completely helpless and blind. By six months, the cubs become independent, reaching the size of adults. For martens, especially for inexperienced animals, foxes and wolves are especially dangerous. But these predators do not affect the number of martens.

Human hunting and excessive hunting of fur-bearing animals have led to the fact that this animal is on the verge of extinction. The number of martens is also affected by the fact that their habitats are being reduced due to the cutting down of old, overmature forest, convenient for nesting.

Photo gallery of martens

There are several types of martens - American, ilka (or pecan), forest, stone, common and Japanese sable, as well as common and Nilgir harza. Regardless of the place of settlement of representatives of a particular species, their way of life has a lot in common. According to scientists, based on the results of many years of observations, martens can sometimes pose a danger to people. In particular, there are known cases when children suffered from the bite of these cute animals, secretly from adults sticking their fingers into the cage during a visit to the zoo.

Ilka, or fishing marten

Found in North American forests, also known as the fishing marten, or pecan marten, contrary to its name, it feeds on fish rather as an exception. According to researchers, the animals could have received their name as a result of borrowing from French the word fichet, translated as “ferret”. Representatives of this species usually feed on arboreal porcupines, mice, squirrels, white hares and birds. They eat shrews and shrews. From time to time you can see how martens feast on berries and various fruits, in particular apples.

North American martens

American martens, as well as ilks, are the only predators of their size that can easily hunt both in burrows and in trees. However American martens So far, they have been relatively little studied, as they are distinguished by great caution and a nocturnal lifestyle. Scientists are so far only inclined to assume that their diet and habits may be similar to similar characteristics of martens of other species.

What do stone martens eat?

The stone marten (its other name is also known - the white marten) is found in Europe, and is not afraid, unlike representatives of other mustelid species, to live next to settlements, periodically looking even into the houses of local residents. Your name stone marten gained thanks to the fact that it is found even in a rocky landscape. Representatives of this species feed primarily on meat, hunting both small mammals(mice, rats, rabbits) and birds. White-tailed birds do not disdain frogs and insects. IN summer period they willingly eat fruits and berries. It is noted that stone martens often commit robbery attacks on poultry and pigeons. Chickens that begin to rush around the chicken coop in panic instantly awaken the predatory reflex in martens. As a result, they can kill many more birds than they can eat.

Diet of pine martens

Forest martens (yellow martens), living in a number of regions of Europe and in the west of some Asian countries, as you can easily guess from their name, prefer to live in forests, carefully avoiding possible encounters with people. Representatives of this species, like many other martens, are practically omnivorous. Their favorite food is small rodents, including squirrels, and bird eggs. With pleasure, according to zoologists, wallflowers also eat frogs and snails, and in the fall they habitually feast on wild berries and nuts, and are able to accumulate reserves for the winter.

Who does the sable hunt?

The sable, which can be found in the Siberian taiga, in addition to the traditional food for all martens, hunts hazel grouse and wood grouse. However, most of its diet consists of pikas (haymakers) and squirrels - sables annually destroy about several million of these forest animals in this way.

The stone marten is a predatory animal, despite the fact that it is very pretty. And it is called stone because it lives mainly in rocky areas. The animal is not as dangerous for people as for the animals themselves living in the forest.

The marten is generally the most common animal among all mammals. The furry forest dweller is a dangerous enemy for many representatives of the animal world, and often poses a threat to people.

General description of the stone marten

Many people are interested in what a stone marten looks like. An adult forest animal can reach quite considerable sizes, up to 60 cm in length, and in weight up to 2 and a half kg. The length of the tail can reach 30 cm. Nevertheless, the stone marten is very beautiful and luxurious in appearance. The animal's fur is fluffy, shimmers in the sun and has a brownish tint. The color can also be light beige, reddish, yellowish-brown.

The stone marten has a slender, long body, with a luxurious tail. The muzzle is slightly elongated, while the animal has a powerful jaw. There are triangular ears on the top of the head.

Nutrition

The stone marten feeds not only raw meat, but also eggs, insects and their larvae. The diet may also include wild berries, frogs and fish. The forest animal loves honey, so it occasionally visits the beehive. Based on the above facts, we can conclude that the animal is absolutely not picky about food, and feeds on everything it finds, be it a fat caterpillar or a delicious juicy strawberry, or maybe a hare.

Most for proper development The following berries are suitable for animals:

raspberry;
cherries;
cherry;
strawberries;
blueberry.

Fruits include pears and all varieties of apples. Undoubtedly, the animal loves nuts, because they contain everything essential proteins and vegetable fats, which help to develop properly and not lag behind in development.

The main delicacy There are small rodents in the forest:

mice;
red squirrels;
shrews;
hares.

Also, the animal does not disdain small birds:

partridges;
woodpeckers;
tits.

These animals are not stupid and know what to do so as not to die of hunger in winter. They prepare everything necessary materials for living in severe snowy times, as well as certain food. This is very important, because besides the cold, there is almost nothing to eat in winter; everyone hides under layers of snow and leaves. Animals love stock different varieties of berries, nuts, eggs. As a rule, all this is found in trees. And if someone else finds this preparation, it is almost impossible for the marten to survive the winter without food. Only occasionally do hares and rodents run by, but this is not at all enough.

Habitat of the stone marten

The animal mainly lives in mature oak and spruce forests. Only here she feels cozy, spacious and most comfortable. But besides forests there are exceptions; the animal can be in fields and meadows. Rocky landscapes are not his thing; the animal cannot stand it.

Reproduction and care of young animals

capable of reproducing after a year of life. Preferably in the summer, the animal tries to find a forest partner. Oddly enough, the female's pregnancy lasts about 28 days. One healthy female can give birth to up to 4 small animals. The cubs are born blind, completely without hair. They are able to open their eyes only after 30 days.

The average life of a marten lasts about 3-4 years, but it is extremely rare for an animal to live 10 years.

Since the marten is a mammal, it is natural that it feeds its young with milk. Feeding period is approximately 40 days, then, after their teeth come out, the animals eat solid food and live with their mother for the whole season.

The main enemies of the stone marten

Although the marten itself is very dangerous predator, yet she has large number enemies. In first place, the ferocious wolf. This is the main predator and owner of the forest. Next come foxes, eagle owls and strict hawks. Undoubtedly, all those animals that are much larger than the marten are the main enemies and competitors for food. Therefore, a forest animal does not always calmly walk around the forest; it carefully looks through all the mysterious corners before resting and falling asleep in one place or another.

Lifestyle of the animal

The animal loves the hollows of dry trees, the height of which ranges from 2 to 5 meters. Also, bird nests and gorges between stones can become a home for the marten, because it is very comfortable there. Permanent place the animal has no residence, since it constantly wanders through certain territories, especially marked by it (a special secret). The stone marten can live in these places every year, feeding and hunting there.

The marten mainly lives alone, only in the summer season does it look for a partner for breeding.

The animal's hunting time is night, so the animal is awake mainly in the dark. The animal loves the darkness, and at this time feels like the king of the forest. It hunts both on the ground and in trees, suffocating its prey.

Marten hunting

Almost all species of mustelids have luxurious beautiful fur, that's why people hunt them. Now on certain territories Hunting for martens is prohibited, as there are fewer and fewer of them left. People began to wonder how to compensate for this. They raise and fatten martens for industrial purposes, and in the end they produce luxurious fur coats for noble ladies. After all, a marten fur coat is very warm and you can wear it for up to 5 seasons.

As mentioned above, it is known that martens live for about 3 years in freedom, but there are exceptions up to 10 years. This figure is extremely small compared to life in captivity. After all, life on a farm proper care, food and amenities, reaches 20 years. This figure is staggering, but people do not have to keep and spend so much on martens, because they use them for other purposes, and not for many years life.

The marten is a very cute animal, albeit a predatory one. A beautiful neat muzzle, long fluffy fur, five-toed paws and a long luxurious tail give the animal a well-groomed appearance. After all, this animal is native forest dweller, which decorates it with its appearance, participates in the food chain. People often don't think about this. They mercilessly and cruelly shoot them down, thinking only about profit. This attitude may lead to serious problems, up to the disappearance of some species of animals of the mustelid family.

The pine marten is a polyphagous predator, so its existence does not depend on the abundance of any one food. The most important groups of pine marten food include: 1) mouse-like rodents (mainly bank voles); 2) proteins; 3) birds; 4) insects; 5) forest fruits (including berries, nuts).

The specific gravity and species composition of feed is very variable. Each area and each season has its own set of feeds and specific gravity everyone. They also do not remain the same from year to year. Dietary variability depends on geographical location area, which most of all determines the species composition of food, and on the time of year, which determines the availability of food and the degree of its accessibility for the pine marten, and finally, on the abundance (yield) of each food.

There is a very definite pattern in the geographic variability of the pine marten's diet - the degree of carnivory increases from south to north, and polyphagism increases from north to south. This is reflected in the variability of the masticatory apparatus. From north to south, the food of the pine marten naturally decreases in mammals, birds, especially from the grouse family, as well as bird eggs. On the contrary, the occurrence of mouse-like rodents among mammals and insects increases from north to south.

In the coniferous taiga, plant foods are more common during the snowless period of the year. On the contrary, in the southernmost zones it is snowy. Their average annual occurrence is the same everywhere and reflects the size of the animal’s need for plant food.

The seasonality of feed is also clearly expressed. For example, squirrel in the diet of the pine marten is predominantly found in the snowy period, reaching an occurrence of 44% or more, and in the snowless period - no more than 6-8%. The same can be said about grouse birds and mountain ash. On the contrary, insects, blueberries and mouse-like rodents are typical food mainly during the snowless period, and during the snowy period, except for the latter, they are absent or much less common.

Well-defined sexual dimorphism is observed in the diet of the pine marten. In the food of the weaker and smaller in size and weight of the female, hares, capercaillie, and black grouse, i.e., larger prey, are not found. On the contrary, hazel grouse and mouse-like rodents are more common in its food than in males.

Even within one zone (in the European northern taiga), there is significant variability in the occurrence of the main food groups. In particular, in the Arkhangelsk region the range of fluctuations in separate groups feed is expressed more sharply than on Pechora; since there (in the Arkhang region) the occurrence of squirrels and plant foods is lower. The latter occurs due to the lack of winter nutrition cedar "nuts". On Kola Peninsula the differences are even more stark.

The basis of the pine marten's diet everywhere are mouse-like rodents, mainly voles, and among the latter - mainly red and red ones. Only in the northwestern Caucasus are they replaced by local species - bush voles, etc. Mouse-like rodents continue to be found in the diet of the pine marten, even when their numbers in the forest become small. High numbers cause the concentration of martens in habitats that are not typical for them: in clearings, burnt areas, along forest edges, etc. This situation also causes an increase in the autumn migrations of young martens. It is mouse-like rodents, especially in combination with secondary and occasional food, that provide martens with a minimum food supply in hungry years. During the snowless period of the year, when the prey of mouse-like rodents is much easier for martens, their share in the latter’s diet increases.

The species composition of mouse-like rodents eaten by martens is diverse. It depends not only on them species composition and relative abundance in the local forest fauna, but also on relative accessibility: more mobile forest mice are always much less common. The exception is forests Black Sea coast The Caucasus, where, in some places, there are no other mouse-like rodents.

It has long been a widely held belief that the pine marten feeds primarily on squirrels. It is clear from the tables above that this is far from true; The pine marten can survive very well even where there are no squirrels at all, for example in the Caucasus, where the marten thrives. Even now, after the squirrel has settled in the forests of the northwestern Caucasus, the pine marten makes little use of its reserves (6.6%). Also during the snowless period, in taiga forest, where the marten has significantly more available food than in winter, the importance of squirrel in nutrition drops sharply. The secret destruction of squirrels by martens has not yet been substantiated by facts.

IN recent years The role of the pine marten (as well as the sable for Siberia) in reducing the number of squirrels was intensively clarified. Of primary importance is the ratio of the abundance and density of both species per unit of forest area, as well as the degree of abundance and accessibility for the marten of its main food. On average, the Pechora marten (which feeds on squirrels here more than anywhere else) eats 8-10 squirrels over the winter. In years when there are very few squirrels, and, on the contrary, there are many martens, these predators can destroy up to 30-35% of all squirrels; in other years the value of squirrels is much less. It is believed that in the European North the pine marten is not able to influence the dynamics of the squirrel population, much less determine it. It causes noticeable damage to the local squirrel population only in those rare years when a low number of squirrels coincides with an equally low number of grouse birds, mouse-like rodents, and there are many martens at the same time.

The abundance of squirrels in nature does not cause an increase in its occurrence in the marten’s diet, especially if there are a lot of voles. As was noted in Pechora, the increased occurrence of squirrels in marten food is also associated with an increased occurrence in nature of weakened and sick squirrels.

In the diet of the pine marten of the European taiga and partly the zone mixed forests Grouse birds are of significant importance: capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse and white partridge. Of these, the most common victim of the marten is the hazel grouse. The marten preys on grouse birds mainly in their snowy burrows, roosting for the night, so in the summer their occurrence in the marten’s food drops noticeably and becomes more or less random. Traces in the snow can often be used to trace unsuccessful hunts of pine martens for capercaillie or hazel grouse. The number of grouse birds in marten food usually increases in years of decline in the number of voles and squirrels. Capercaillie is found on Pechora, like black grouse, only in the food of a larger and stronger male. Only hazel grouse is found in the female's food. This also occurs in the Vologda region. The white hare is also found only in the food of males. In the Central Forest Reserve there were individual male hare breeders who specialized in chasing and preying on hares. Their daily trail was often especially long.

Hunting small birds - characteristic feature pine marten, although their share in the diet is very small. This is determined by the small size of the prey. Hollow nesters predominate among the birds hunted: woodpeckers, tits, nuthatches.

Shrews in marten food are either a random element or a sign of an acute lack of basic food. Sometimes, in some winters, it appears in the marten’s food. common mole, and quite often. This is due to the death of moles when the taiga soil freezes strongly during winters with little snow. Also, special circumstances cause the appearance of eggs of grouse birds, mainly wood grouse, in the marten’s winter diet. This is associated with death early spring entire clutches of eggs from hypothermia, which occurs only when the female leaves the clutch for a long time in years when repeated and prolonged June frosts occur.

Sometimes martens find the remains of frogs and their eggs in the remains of food in winter. This is observed in winters with little food, when the predator manages to find a wintering concentration of frogs somewhere on a melt stream. .In Tatarstan, on Maly Cheremshan, traces of a marten were repeatedly observed walking on the ice of a river where an American mink was hunting for frogs. The mink often left frogs in the snow and the marten picked them up.

IN southern parts range of the species during the snowless period, the marten eats a large number of insects, including wasps, bees, bumblebees, beetles (especially ground beetles), in the taiga and forests middle zone Wasps, bumblebees and bees are more common in food. Beetles predominate in the Caucasus. In the taiga, the importance of this food group is naturally less, as are the food items themselves. Having discovered a tree hollow inhabited by wild bees, the pine marten willingly and for a long time feeds on honey and bee larvae.

Plant foods are found in food in taiga forests, mainly during the snowless period. Then blueberries take first place. Other fruits, including bird cherry, are of secondary importance. Only in the upper reaches of the Pechora does the pine “nut” become very important in autumn and winter, of course, during the years of its harvest. It is usually found in the stomachs of martens together with forest voles. The marten eats rowan in winter, far from in accordance with its availability and accessibility. She uses rowan fruits very sparingly, especially when there is a lot of other food. Where there is no cedar in the taiga, rowan and other plant foods appear in the food of martens in winters, when there is little basic food. In the southern parts of the range, fruits, especially in autumn and winter, are much more important for the marten. greater value than in the taiga. In the northwestern Caucasus, along with a whole list of wild fruits (including rowan), yew fruits, which are poisonous to humans, are also of significant importance.

Polyphagism is a very characteristic feature of the pine marten. It allows her to switch to others if there is a shortage of one feed. However, comparison of combinations in one stomach different numbers of food with the degree of fullness of the stomach and the fatness of the animal shows that diversity in the daily diet is a negative sign, indicating a lack of basic, complete food. Analysis of long-term data on the nutrition of the pine marten also shows that, along with the existing relationship between the degree of abundance of basic food in nature and the frequency of their occurrence in the diet, there is another relationship - a decrease in the occurrence of one of the groups of food causes an increase in the consumption of another group or groups, regardless depending on the abundance of these foods in nature. In general, due to polyphagism, pine martens do not experience deep and long-term depressions in numbers, primarily where conditions are more favorable for them. However, although rare, there are seasons when most of the main food in nature is scarce, and martens starve.

From Table 68 on the diet of the pine marten, it is clear that during the snowless period, due to a more diverse and more accessible range of food, the occurrence of mouse-like rodents, mainly forest voles, bird eggs, insects and their larvae, as well as fruits, increases noticeably. At the same time, the occurrence of more difficult to obtain food is decreasing: squirrels, grouse birds. It has already been said above that this general position there are a number of local deviations. Thus, in the Arkhangelsk region, 70% of the data were found in the summer diet of voles, birds - 23.2%, insects - 24.2%, fruits (including berries) - 21.2%, among birds the importance of grouse decreases and increases the role of small birds, and lizards also appear, the importance of shrews - forced food, and squirrels - decreases.

The marten’s stomach holds an amount of food equal to 1/10 of the animal’s live weight - this is nature’s optimal daily norm. It is not achieved often. The fullest stomachs could hold 60-90 g of food, most often about 50 g. The pine marten does not eat more than one squirrel per day; much more often she leaves part of the carcass. To assess the overall food supply for martens in given year and season, the researcher has data on the average fullness of the stomach with food (by weight) and the number of empty stomachs. In the zone of middle and northern taiga, the pine marten feeds worse than in the zone of mixed forests. The average fullness of the stomach of the Pechora marten for 7 winter seasons was 28.7% of the optimal fullness, in the forests of the middle zone - 80-95%, which is 50-70 and up to 90 g. For Tataria, the filling is about 44% (32 g) . All this corresponds to the geographical variability of the marten’s diet in different areas of its habitat and the duration of its daily journey. In the Pechora marten over 7 years, the average percentage of stomach fullness in the winter season ranged from 14.6 to 51.1%, and average weight(without empty ones) - from 10.6 to 37.1 g. In Vologda pine martens for 4 winter season the average weight of stomach contents ranged from 25.5 to 35.5 g (mean - 29.3 g); the maximum was 126 g (frog and its eggs). The best fullness in the upper reaches of the Pechora usually occurs with a predominant diet of squirrel and upland game, but at this time the highest percentage of empty stomachs is also found.