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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Martes americana
American Marten

 
Scientific Name: Martes americana (Turton, 1806)
English Name: American Marten
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: Dawson, N. G., and J. A. Cook. 2012. Behind the genes: diversification of North American martens (Martes americana and M. caurina). Pages 23-38 in K. B. Aubry, W. J. Zielinski, M. G. Raphael, and S. W. Buskirk, editors. Biology and conservation of martens, sables, and fishers: a new synthesis. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.
Classification Level: Species
Taxonomy Comments: April 2013 - Dawson and Cook (2012) concluded that the pattern of molecular and morphological variation in North American martens supports the recognition of M. americana and M. caurina as distinct species. Both are found in B.C.
Species Group: Vertebrate Animal
Species Code: M-MAAM
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Animalia Craniata Mammalia Carnivora Mustelidae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G5 (Apr 2016)
Provincial Status: S5 (Mar 2024)
BC List: Yellow
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada:
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description:
Global Reproduction Comments: Breeds in summer. Implantation is delayed; litter of 1-5 (average 3-4, less when food scarce) is born in spring. Young arre weaned in about 6 weeks, apparently independent by August in Maine (Wynne and Sherburne 1984). Males are sexually mature in 1 year, females in 1-2 years.
Global Ecology Comments: Basically solitary. Densities of about l-2 per sq km have been recorded in early fall.
Migration Characteristics:
(Global / Provincial)		 
    Nonmigrant:
    Local Migrant:
    Distant Migrant:
    Within Borders Migrant: 		Y / N
N / N
N / N
na / N
Global Migration Comments: Home range size is quite variable, usually averages less than 10 sq km, may be larger when food scarce; male range usually is larger than female range; see Slough (1989) for detailed summary of home ranges in several areas; see also Phillips et al. (1998). Male home range may overlap those of multiple females.

Young may disperse 25 miles or more.
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence)
Global Habitat Comments: This species usually occurs in dense deciduous, mixed, or (especially) coniferous upland and lowland forest. In Newfoundland, it prefers undisturbed mature coniferous or mixed forest. When inactive, martens occupy holes in dead or live trees or stumps, abandoned squirrel nests, conifer crowns, rock piles, burrows, snow cavities, etc.; they use mainly subnivean sites, often associated with coarse woody debris, in winter. Young are born in a den, usually in a hollow tree, sometimes in rock den.
Food Habits: Carnivore: Adult, Immature
Global Food Habits Comments: Diet consists mainly of small mammals, birds, insects, carrion. Berries and other vegetable matter are eaten in season. Foraging occurs in trees and on the ground (mostly). Martens track prey, ambush, rob nests, excavate burrows, and use hunting perches (Spencer and Zielinski 1983). They also exploit subnivean prey (voles, squirrels, etc.).
Global Phenology: Circadian: Adult, Immature
Global Phenology Comments: Activity may peak at dusk and dawn in summer; frequently observed by day in winter.
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Colonial Breeder: N
Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): 68/ / 1568
Elevation (m) (min / max): Global: 
Provincial: 
   
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: This species occurs throughout most of Canada and Alaska, and its range extends southward through the Great Lakes region and northern New England; most marten populations in the western contiguous United States and southwestern Canada are now included in Martes caurina; Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana have both species (Dawson and Cook 2012). See map in Clark et al. (1987) for comparison of present and historical range.
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author: Hammerson, G.
Last Updated: Oct 14, 1994
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
   
References and Related Literature
Armstrong, D. M. 1975. Rocky Mountain mammals. Rocky Mountain Nature Asscoc., Inc. 174 pp.
Baker, R. H. 1983. Michigan mammals. Michigan State University Press. 642 pp.
Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
Berg, W. E. 1982. Reintroduction of fisher, pine marten, and river otter. Pages 159-173 in G. C. Sanderson, editor. Midwest furbearer management. Proc. Symp. 43rd Midwest Fishand Widlife Conference, Wichita, Kansas.
Buskirk, S. W. 1992. Conserving circumboreal forests for martens and fishers. Conservation Biology 6:318-320.
Buskirk, S. W., et al., editors. 1994. Martens, sables, and fishers: biology and conservation. Cornell. 496 pp.
Clark, T. W., et al. 1987. Martes americana. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species 289:1-8.
Clark, T. W., T. M. Campbell, III, and T. N. Hauptman. 1989. Demographic characteristics of American marten populations in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Great Basin Nat. 49:587-596.
Davis, M. H. 1983. Post-release movements of introduced marten. J. Wildl. Manage. 47:59-66.
de Vos, A. 1952. Ecology and management of fisher and marten in Ontario. Tech. Bull. Ontario Dept. Lands For., Wildl. Ser. 1. 90 pp.
Evers, D. C. 1992. A guide to Michigan's endangered wildlife. Univ. Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. viii + 103 pp.
Godin, A. J. 1977. Wild mammals of New England. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 304 pp.
Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I & II. John Wiley & Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
Hamilton, W. J., Jr., and J. O. Whitaker, Jr. 1979. Mammals of the eastern United States. Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, New York. 346 pp.
Hobson, D. P., G. Proulx, and B. L. Dew. 1989. Initial post-release behavior of marten, Martes americana, introduced in Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan. Can. Field-Nat. 103:398-400.
Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
Lacy, R. C., and T. W. Clark. 1993. Simulation modeling of American marten (Martes americana) populations: vulnerability to extinction. Great Basin Nat. 53:282-292.
Phillips, D. M., D. J. Harrison, and D. C. Payer. 1998. Seasonal changes in home-range area and fidelity of martens. Journal of Mammalogy 79:180-190.
Ruggiero, L. F., K. B. Aubry, S. W. Buskirk, L. J. Lyon, and W. J. Zielinski, editors. 1994. The scientific basis for conserving forest carnivores in the western United States: American marten, fisher, lynx, and wolverine. USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report RM-254.
Slough, B. G. 1989. Movements and habitat use by transplanted marten in the Yukon Territory. J. Wildl. Manage. 53:991-997.
Snyder, J. E., and J. A. Bissonette. 1987. Marten use of clear-cuttings and residual forest stands in western Newfoundland. Can. J. Zool. 65:169-174.
Soutiere, E.C. 1979. Effects of timber harvesting on marten in Maine. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 43(4):850-860.
Spencer, W. D. 1987. Seasonal rest-site preferences of pine martens in the northern Sierra Nevada. J. Wildl. Manage. 51:616-621.
Spencer, W. D., and W. J. Zielinski. 1983. Predatory behavior of pine martens. J. Mamm. 64:715-717.
Strickland, M. A., et al. 1982. Marten (Martes americana).Pages 599-612 in Chapman, J. A., and G. A. Feldhamer, eds. Wild mammals of North America. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore.
Thomas, J. W., Ward, J., Raphael, M.G., Anthony, R.G., Forsman, E.D., Gunderson, A.G., Holthausen, R.S., Marcot, B.G., Reeves, G.H., Sedell, J.R. and Solis, D.M. 1993. Viability assessments and management considerations for species associated with late-successional and old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. The report of the Scientific Analysis Team. USDA Forest Service, Spotted Owl EIS Team, Portland Oregon. 530 pp.
Thompson, I. D., and P. W. Colgan. 1987. Numerical responses of martens to a food shortage in northcentral Ontario. J. Wildl. Manage. 51:824-835.
U.S. Forest Service (USFS), et al. 1993. Draft supplemental environmental impact statement on management of habitat for late-successional and old-growth forest related species within the range of the northern spotted owl. Published separately is Appendix A: Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team. 1993. Forest ecosystem management: an ecological, economic, and social assessment (FEMAT Report).
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Wynne, K. M., and J. A. Sherburne. 1984. Summer home range use by adult marten in northwestern Maine. Can. J. Zool. 62:941-943.
Youngman, P. M., and F. W. Schueler. 1991. Martes nobilis is a synonym of Martes americana, not an extinct Pleistocene-Holocene species. J. Mamm. 72:567-577.
Zielinski, W. J., W. D. Spencer, and R. H. Barrett. 1983. Relationship between food habits and activity patterns of pine martens. J. Mamm. 64:387-396.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1994. Species Summary: Martes americana. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 7, 2026).