Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ American Marten

Martes americana

(Turton, 1806)

American Marten

G5Secure Found in 28 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.887112
Element CodeAMAJF01040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderCarnivora
FamilyMustelidae
GenusMartes
COSEWICPS:SC
Other Common Names
American marten (EN) Martre d'Amérique (FR)
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.
Taxonomic Comments
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 with independent evolutionary histories. Regarding subspecies, they concluded that most of the nominal taxa in eastern North America are not supported by existing data (but see McGowan et al. 1999), whereas the subspecific classification in the west (i.e., within M. caurina) "more accurately reflects patterns of underlying geographic variation resulting from isolation in disjunct forest refugia during the last glaciation (Slauson et al. 2009)."
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date1997-09-26
Edition Date2013-06-25
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Large range in northern North America, timber harvest and excessive harvest led to extirpations in the southern part of the range; natural reestablishment and reintroduction programs (aided by reforestation and trapping restrictions) have contributed to a moderate comeback in some areas; adequate population data are unavailable for much of the range, but the total population size is at least several hundred thousand and the species can be regarded as secure.
Range Extent Comments
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.
Occurrences Comments
The number of occurrences has not been determined using standardized criteria, btut surely there are hundreds of fairly distinct populations.
Threat Impact Comments
Past extensive logging and trapping for pelts led to extirpation in some areas. Martens are susceptible to overharvest when food supplies are low (Thompson and Colgan 1987). Loss/degradation of habitat due to timber harvest remains a threat in some areas.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

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.

Ecology

Basically solitary. Densities of about l-2 per sq km have been recorded in early fall.

Reproduction

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.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedForest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - Mixed
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
LabradorS5Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
NunavutSUYes
New BrunswickS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS2Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandSXYes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New HampshireS2Yes
MassachusettsSXYes
WisconsinS2Yes
Navajo NationSNRYes
New YorkS3Yes
MontanaS4Yes
MaineS5Yes
IllinoisSXYes
OhioSXYes
VermontS1Yes
MichiganS3Yes
MarylandSXYes
District of ColumbiaSXYes
North DakotaS1Yes
AlaskaS5Yes
MinnesotaS4Yes
IdahoS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
5 - Biological resource use——High (continuing)
5.1 - Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals——High (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting——High (continuing)

—

Roadless Areas (28)
Alaska (12)
AreaForestAcres
ChichagofTongass National Forest555,858
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Freshwater BayTongass National Forest44,933
Game CreekTongass National Forest54,469
HyderTongass National Forest121,723
KogishTongass National Forest65,216
KosciuskoTongass National Forest64,134
North KruzofTongass National Forest33,146
SarkarTongass National Forest51,908
Tenakee RidgeTongass National Forest20,527
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Kawishiwi Lake To SawbillSuperior National Forest15,305
New Hampshire (10)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
Washington (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dry Canyon BreaksColville National Forest4,821
Grassy TopColville National Forest10,302
Grassy TopIdaho Panhandle National Forests13,485
Harvey CreekColville National Forest10,140
References (53)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Armstrong, D. M. 1975. Rocky Mountain mammals. Rocky Mountain Nature Asscoc., Inc. 174 pp.
  3. Aubry, K. B., W. J. Zielinski, M. G. Raphael, and S. W. Buskirk, editors. 2012. Biology and conservation of martens, sables, and fishers: a new synthesis. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.
  4. Baker, R. H. 1983. Michigan mammals. Michigan State University Press. 642 pp.
  5. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
  6. 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.
  7. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  8. Buskirk, S. W. 1992. Conserving circumboreal forests for martens and fishers. Conservation Biology 6:318-320.
  9. Buskirk, S. W., et al., editors. 1994. Martens, sables, and fishers: biology and conservation. Cornell. 496 pp.
  10. Chapman, J. A., and G. A. Feldhamer, editors. 1982. Wild mammals of North America: biology, management, and economics. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland.
  11. Clark, T. W., et al. 1987. <i>Martes americana</i>. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species 289:1-8.
  12. 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.
  13. Colella, J. P., E. J. Johnson, and J. A. Cook. 2018. Reconciling molecules and morphology in North American <i>Martes</i>. Journal of Mammalogy 99(6):1323-1335.
  14. Colella, J. P., R. E. Wilson, S. L. Talbot, and J. A. Cook. 2019. Implications of introgression for wildlife translocations: the case of North American martens. Conservation Genetics 20(2):153-166.
  15. Davis, M. H. 1983. Post-release movements of introduced marten. J. Wildl. Manage. 47:59-66.
  16. Dawson, N. G., and J. A. Cook. 2012. Behind the genes: diversification of North American martens (<i>Martes americana</i> and <i>M. caurina</i>). 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.
  17. Dawson, N. G., J. P. Colella, M. P. Small, K. D. Stone, S. L. Talbot, and J. A. Cook. 2017. Historical biogeography sets the foundation for contemporary conservation of martens (genus <i>Martes</i>) in northwestern North America. Journal of Mammalogy 98(3):715-730.
  18. de Vos, A. 1952. Ecology and management of fisher and marten in Ontario. Tech. Bull. Ontario Dept. Lands For., Wildl. Ser. 1. 90 pp.
  19. Evers, D. C. 1992. A guide to Michigan's endangered wildlife. Univ. Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. viii + 103 pp.
  20. Godin, A. J. 1977. Wild mammals of New England. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 304 pp.
  21. Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I &amp; II. John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
  22. Hamilton, W. J., Jr., and J. O. Whitaker, Jr. 1979. Mammals of the eastern United States. Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, New York. 346 pp.
  23. Hebda, A.J. 2011. List of mammals of Nova Scotia (including synonyms used in the literature relating to Nova Scotia) (revision 2) 24 July 2011. Nova Scotia Museum Collections Unit, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 24 pp. Online. Available: https://naturalhistory.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/inline/images/names_and_synonyms_ver3.pdf
  24. Hicks, S. A., and S. M. Carr. 1997. Are there two species of pine marten in North America? Genetic and evolutionary relationship within MARTES. Pages 15-28 in G. Proulx, H. N. Bryant, and P. M. Woodard, editors. Martes: taxonomy, ecology, techniques, and management. Proceedings of the Second International Martes Symposium. Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton.
  25. Hobson, D. P., G. Proulx, and B. L. Dew. 1989. Initial post-release behavior of marten, <i>Martes americana</i>, introduced in Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan. Can. Field-Nat. 103:398-400.
  26. 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.
  27. Lacy, R. C., and T. W. Clark. 1993. Simulation modeling of American marten (<i>Martes americana</i>) populations: vulnerability to extinction. Great Basin Nat. 53:282-292.
  28. McGowan, C., L. A. Howes, and W. S. Davidson. 1999. Genetic analysis of an endangered pine marten (<i>Martes americana</i>) population from Newfoundland using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA marhers. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77:661-666.
  29. Novak, M., et al., editors. 1987. Wild furbearer management and conservation in North America. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 1150 pp.
  30. Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's mammals of the world. Fifth edition. Vols. I and II. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore. 1629 pp.
  31. 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.
  32. 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.
  33. Slauson, K. M., W. J. Zielinski, and K. D. Stone. 2009b. Characterizing the molecular variation among American marten (<i>Martes americana</i>) subspecies from Oregon and California. Conservation Genetics 10:1337-1341.
  34. Slough, B. G. 1989. Movements and habitat use by transplanted marten in the Yukon Territory. J. Wildl. Manage. 53:991-997.
  35. Small, M. P., K. D. Stone, and J. A. Cook. 2003. American marten (<i>Martes americana </i>) in the Pacific Northwest: population differentiation across a landscape fragmented in time and space. Molecular Ecology 12:89-103.
  36. 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.
  37. Soutiere, E.C. 1979. Effects of timber harvesting on marten in Maine. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 43(4):850-860.
  38. Spencer, W. D. 1987. Seasonal rest-site preferences of pine martens in the northern Sierra Nevada. J. Wildl. Manage. 51:616-621.
  39. Spencer, W. D., and W. J. Zielinski. 1983. Predatory behavior of pine martens. J. Mamm. 64:715-717.
  40. Stone, K. D., and J. A. Cook. 2002. Molecular evolution of Holarctic martens (genus <i>Martes</i>, Mammalia:Carnivora: Mustelidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 24:169-179.
  41. Strickland, M. A., et al. 1982. Marten (<i>Martes americana</i>).Pages 599-612 in Chapman, J. A., and G. A. Feldhamer, eds. Wild mammals of North America. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore.
  42. 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.
  43. 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.
  44. 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).
  45. 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/.
  46. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]
  47. Wright, P. L. 1953. Intergradation between <i>Martes americana</i> and<i> Martes caurina</i> in western Montana. Journal of Mammalogy 34:74-86.
  48. Wynne, K. M., and J. A. Sherburne. 1984. Summer home range use by adult marten in northwestern Maine. Can. J. Zool. 62:941-943.
  49. Youngman, P. M., and F. W. Schueler. 1991. <i>Martes nobilis</i> is a synonym of <i>Martes americana</i>, not an extinct Pleistocene-Holocene species. J. Mamm. 72:567-577.
  50. Zielinski, W. J. 2013. The forest carnivores: fisher and marten. Chapter 7.1 in: Long, J. et al. 2013. Science Synthesis to support Forest Plan Revision in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascades. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 504 p.
  51. Zielinski, W. J., and H. B. Stauffer. 1996. Monitoring <i>Martes </i>populations in California: survey design and power analysis. Ecological Applications 6(4):1254-1267.
  52. Zielinski, W. J., K. M. Slauson, C. R. Carroll, C. J. Kent, and D. G. Kudma. 2001. Status of American martens in coastal forests of the Pacific states. Journal of Mammalogy 82:478-490.
  53. 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.