Located near Centura Health in Avon right off of I-70. An innovative natural science learning campus for residents and visitors of the Eagle Valley. Free and open to the public.

318 Walking Mountains Lane, Avon, CO 81620

Located at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola on Vail Mountain out of Lionshead Village, Vail. All visitors must have a pass to ride the gondola. Free and open to the public with valid gondola pass.
Nestled along Gore Creek near the Betty Ford Alpine Garden and Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail Village.
601 Vail Valley Drive, Vail, CO 81657

Curious Nature

The Secretive Pine Marten: How to Spot One

Posted by Walking Mountains on Feb 8, 2016 1:20:05 AM
Walking Mountains

If you’ve had the opportunity to explore the trails this season, you have probably seen a network of footprints decorating the blanket of snow around our valley. Although winter can seem quiet and lifeless, these footprints remind us that the winter environment is thriving with life, out on the hunt to find their next meal, searching for a spring time mate, or simply enjoying a playful afternoon in the snow. With every footprint, these animals share a piece of their adventure with us.

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But even in the open canvas of a fresh snowfall, there is one animal that rarely leaves a track—the American Pine Marten, Martes Americana. About the size of a mink, the elusive pine marten has a long, slim body, pointy face, rounded ears, and a large bushy tail. Like the other members of its family (weasels, fishers, mink), the pine marten wears a luxurious coat of fur and was nearly trapped to extinction for its fur during the 19th century. Luckily, due to successful reintroduction programs in various parts of the United States, pine martens have made a positive comeback through much of the U.S. Today, they are widely distributed through northern North American, from Alaska to Canada, with smaller populations stretching as far as northern New Mexico.

If you are itching to see one of these handsome creatures, the first step is getting to know their habitat. The American pine marten prefers to live in old growth, mesic, conifer and mixed conifer forests. Late successional forests with a variety of structural diversity (woody debris, tree snags, multi-level canopies) provide the pine marten with suitable den sites, abundant hunting opportunities, and help with thermal regulation in the cold winters. Pine martens are also commonly seen around riparian corridors adjacent to coniferous stands. Because of the marten’s specific habitat needs, the management of forests for timber harvest, especially when it reduces canopy cover or density of woody debris, can have serious impacts on the success of these animals.

If you are able to find suitable marten habitat, the next step in spotting a marten is understanding their lifestyle. Pine martens are usually solitary, territorial, nocturnal animals. Both males and females mark their home territory and will not allow another marten of the same sex into their territory. On average, male martens defend between 1-3 square miles and females defend up to 1 mile of territory. There are, however, exceptions to their solitary lifestyle. During mating season, between July and September, you may see martens in pairs. Pairs stay together only briefly, as martens are polygamous. After mating season, they are back on their own until females are joined by their offspring in early spring. Female pine martens have an unusual pregnancy. Embryonic implantation—the connection of the embryo to the uterus of the mother—is suspended until late winter (about 200 days!). Once the embryo is implanted, active gestation lasts for only one month with females giving birth between March and late-April. Litters range from 1-5 kits, which stick with their mothers through the summer before heading out to find their own territory.

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Lastly, if you are out looking for that marten, look up and all around! Martens are fast and agile, quickly leaping from tree branch to tree branch. They are opportunistic hunters, eating what is in season and abundant, and may be seen foraging in hollow logs, crevices, or debris piles. Voles are a year-round staple of the American marten’s diet, which becomes more variable in the summer, including fruit, insects, and seeds. In fact, the American pine marten is thought to be an important seed disperser for some plants because seeds pass through the marten intact and can then germinate in their new location.
If, with all of this information about the American pine marten, you are one of the lucky few to catch a glimpse, soak it all in because it might not happen again! Sit back and admire this lovely animal’s agility and secrecy as it jumps between the trees, disappearing into the forest once again.

Johanna Gundlach is an educator at Walking Mountains Science Center. She enjoys long walks through the forest, shared with her binoculars and a good field guide.

Topics: Curious Nature

Walking Mountains

Written by Walking Mountains

Our mission is to awaken a sense of wonder and inspire environmental stewardship and sustainability through natural science education.