Pine Marten

[Jaime Johnson]

http://jaimejohnson.zenfolio.com/

F5.6
1/60
ISO 640

 

[Don Cohen]

Very cool critter and image, Jaime! Quite sharp considering 1/60 second. Love the snow in the background, and a few flakes on its face!

 

[Jaime Johnson]

Amazing animal - dark this day.... shot several - got a handful.

Really pretty rare to get... they are quite large - they are about twice the size of a mink. The picture really doesn't do much for the scale!

 

[Asher Kelman]

http://jaimejohnson.zenfolio.com/

F5.6
1/60
ISO 640

Jaime,

So this is a hunter, I wondered about its prey. I thought "Mice!" but it's more than that. It's an omnivore like us!

"The American Marten has a long slender body covered in glossy brownish fur with a lighter coloured throat, a long bushy tail and a pointed snout. Like those of cats, its claws are semi-retractable, and aid it in climbing trees. It also has very large foot pads in relation to body weight allowing it to walk on hard snow. This provides the marten with a distinct advantage in areas that receive heavy snows.
The animal is omnivorous, preferring to catch and eat small mammals, especially the American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), but readily consuming fish, frogs, insects, carrion, and fruit and other vegetation when available. It is most active at night, early morning, and late afternoon. It is usually solitary outside of the mating season. Males defend a territory of one to three square miles, and can be very aggressive toward other males. Mating occurs during the summer, but implantation of the fertilized egg is delayed (delayed implantation [1]) and 1 to 5 young "kits" are born the following spring in a den in a hollow tree or rock cavity." Wikipedia

I too love the coloring and having the snow background and the texture of the tree bark that goes well with its coat.

This is a very special treat for us!

Asher