# Pine Marten — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Martes martes*

> A pine marten (Martes martes) is a cat-sized, tree-climbing member of the weasel family native to European and western Asian woodland. Chestnut-brown with a cream throat bib and bushy tail, it is rare in much of Britain but recovering, and is globally classed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

**IUCN status:** Least Concern (IUCN)  ·  **WARN range:** United Kingdom, Ireland, Continental Europe, Western Asia

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Common name | Pine marten (European pine marten) |
| Scientific name | Martes martes |
| Family | Mustelidae (weasel family) |
| IUCN status | Least Concern (global) |
| Body length | Up to about 53 cm, plus a ~25 cm tail |
| Weight | About 1.5-1.7 kg; males larger than females |
| Diet | Omnivore: small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, frogs, fruit and berries |
| Litter | Up to 5 kits, born late March to April |
| Lifespan | Commonly 3-4 years in the wild; up to about 11 years |
| CITES | Not listed |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Mustelidae
- **Genus:** Martes
- **Species:** Martes martes

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Least Concern globally on the IUCN Red List, reflecting a wide range and large overall population across Europe and western Asia. In Britain and Ireland the species is much rarer, having been reduced by historic habitat loss and persecution, and is legally protected. Populations there are now recovering and expanding, helped by woodland regrowth and reintroductions.
- **Population:** No precise global figure; the population is considered large across its extensive European and western Asian range, with much smaller, recovering numbers in Britain.
- **Trend:** Stable globally; recovering and expanding in Britain and Ireland.
- **Assessed:** Assessed as Least Concern in the most recent IUCN Red List evaluation of the species
- **CITES:** Not listed on CITES Appendices.
- Continued recovery in Britain depends on protecting and connecting woodland habitat and reducing road mortality; isolated populations remain locally vulnerable.

## Key facts: Pine Marten
- The pine marten is a cat-sized woodland mustelid, identified by chocolate-brown fur and a cream-to-orange throat patch.
- Globally it is classed as Least Concern, but it remains rare across much of Britain after centuries of habitat loss and persecution.
- Populations are recovering and expanding in Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, aided by protection and reintroductions.
- Pine martens help native red squirrels by preying more heavily on ground-foraging invasive grey squirrels.
- They are agile climbers and skilled generalists, eating small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, frogs, fruit and berries.
- Females use delayed implantation, mating in summer but giving birth the following spring.

## What does a pine marten look like and how big is it?
The pine marten is roughly the size of a domestic cat but with a slimmer, more elongated body typical of the weasel family. Adults have a head-and-body length of up to about 53 cm, plus a long bushy tail of around 25 cm that aids balance during climbing. Most weigh between 1.5 and 1.7 kg, with males larger than females. The coat is a rich chocolate-brown, growing darker and thicker in winter, and the most recognisable feature is the pale throat bib, which ranges from creamy yellow to deep orange and is unique enough to help identify individuals. Other distinguishing features include large, rounded ears edged in pale fur, a pointed face and strong, semi-retractable claws. These claws, combined with the ability to rotate their hind feet, make pine martens superb climbers, able to descend tree trunks head-first. They are mostly solitary and largely nocturnal or crepuscular, though they may be active by day in quiet areas. Their long tails, dark fur and bounding gait can cause them to be mistaken for a cat or a large stoat at a glance.

## What do pine martens eat and how do they live?
Pine martens are opportunistic omnivores, and their diet shifts with the seasons. They take small mammals such as voles and mice, along with birds, eggs, insects, frogs and carrion, and in late summer and autumn they eat large quantities of berries and fruit. This flexibility allows them to thrive in mixed woodland, conifer forest, scrub and rocky areas. Each animal holds a territory that it marks with droppings, or scats, often left in prominent places such as tracks, rocks or logs; these scats have a distinctive musky, slightly sweet smell. Pine martens are excellent climbers and frequently den and rest in tree cavities, old squirrel dreys, rock crevices or buildings, and they will readily use purpose-built den boxes. They are mainly solitary outside the breeding season. Breeding involves delayed implantation: mating takes place in mid to late summer, but the fertilised egg does not implant until the following late winter, so the single litter of up to five kits is born in late March or April. The young stay with their mother through the summer before dispersing.

## Why are pine martens linked to red squirrel recovery?
One of the most striking findings in recent British and Irish ecology is that the return of the pine marten can help native red squirrels at the expense of invasive grey squirrels. Grey squirrels, introduced from North America, outcompete reds and carry a disease that is usually fatal to them, and they have driven red squirrels out of much of Britain. Where pine martens recolonise, however, this trend can reverse. The leading explanation is that grey squirrels, which did not evolve alongside the pine marten, spend more time foraging on the ground and are heavier and less agile in the canopy, making them easier prey. Red squirrels, native to the same woodlands as the marten, are lighter, warier and better at escaping through the treetops, so they suffer far less predation. The result is that areas with established pine marten populations often see grey squirrel numbers fall and red squirrels begin to return. This makes the pine marten a valuable native predator for woodland conservation, and a clear example of how restoring one species can ripple through an ecosystem to benefit others.

## Are pine martens protected and how are they recovering?
Although the pine marten is classed as Least Concern across its wide global range, its history in Britain has been very different. Centuries of woodland clearance, trapping for fur and persecution as a perceived threat to game and poultry reduced it to scattered strongholds, chiefly in the Scottish Highlands, by the early twentieth century. The species is now legally protected in Britain and Ireland, where it is an offence to kill, injure or disturb them or to damage their resting places. Protection, the regrowth of woodland and natural spread have allowed populations to recover, and pine martens are once again expanding across Scotland and into northern England and Wales. Carefully managed reintroductions have helped re-establish the species in parts of Wales and England where it had been lost. Recovery is not guaranteed everywhere: pine martens still need large areas of connected woodland, they can be killed on roads, and isolated populations remain vulnerable. Continued habitat protection, woodland connectivity and public understanding all support the species' long-term return to landscapes it once occupied.

## Pine marten vs grey squirrel: predator and prey
| Feature | Pine marten | Grey squirrel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Family | Weasel family (Mustelidae) | Squirrel family (Sciuridae) |
| Status in Britain | Native, rare but recovering | Invasive, introduced from North America |
| Role | Native predator | Prey, and competitor of red squirrels |
| Where it forages | Trees and ground; agile climber | Often on the ground; heavier in the canopy |
| Conservation effect | Helps red squirrels recover | Displaces native red squirrels |

## What WARN does
WARN does not run field projects specifically for the pine marten, which lives largely outside the five countries where our partners work. This guide is part of our free educational work to help people understand wildlife and the pressures it faces. The threats that once nearly wiped out British pine martens, above all habitat loss and the fragmentation of forests, are the same forces harming the animals WARN's partners do protect every day.

If this guide helped you, a small gift helps us keep publishing free wildlife education and supports hands-on care for vulnerable animals in the regions where we work.

## Frequently asked questions: Pine Marten
### Is a pine marten endangered?
No. Across its wide range in Europe and western Asia the pine marten is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN, meaning it is not globally threatened. However, it remains rare and patchily distributed in much of Britain after historic habitat loss and persecution, and is legally protected there. Populations are now recovering and expanding in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and northern England.

### What is the difference between a pine marten and a stoat or weasel?
All three belong to the weasel family, but the pine marten is much larger, roughly the size of a domestic cat, with a long bushy tail and a cream-to-orange throat bib. Stoats and weasels are far smaller, slimmer and shorter-tailed, with reddish-brown upper fur and pale undersides. Pine martens are also strong tree climbers, whereas stoats and weasels hunt mainly on the ground.

### Do pine martens really help red squirrels?
Yes. Research in Britain and Ireland shows that where pine martens recover, invasive grey squirrels decline and native red squirrels often return. Grey squirrels did not evolve alongside the marten, spend more time on the ground and are heavier and less agile in the canopy, making them easier prey. Lighter, warier red squirrels escape more easily, so they suffer far less predation.

### Are pine martens dangerous to humans or pets?
No. Pine martens are shy, mostly nocturnal animals that avoid people and pose no real danger to humans. They can occasionally take small poultry or raid bird feeders, and in some areas they shelter in lofts or outbuildings, which can be a nuisance. They are not a threat to cats or dogs, and conflicts are usually best resolved by securing food and blocking access points rather than by harming the animal.

### What do pine martens eat?
Pine martens are opportunistic omnivores. Their diet includes small mammals such as voles and mice, birds and their eggs, insects, frogs and carrion. In late summer and autumn they also eat large amounts of berries and fruit, which can make up a major part of their diet. This flexible, seasonal feeding lets them thrive in woodland, conifer forest, scrub and rocky habitats across their range.

### Where do pine martens live?
Pine martens are found across much of Europe and into western Asia, including parts of the Caucasus and the Middle East. They favour woodland and forest with plenty of cover, including conifer and mixed woods, but also use scrub and rocky ground. In Britain their stronghold has long been the Scottish Highlands, with populations now spreading into England and Wales and an expanding range in Ireland.

## Sources
- [Wikipedia: European pine marten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_pine_marten)
- [IUCN Red List: Martes martes](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12848/45199169)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica: marten](https://www.britannica.com/animal/marten)
- [CITES: checklist of species](https://checklist.cites.org/)
- [Wikipedia: red squirrel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_squirrel)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/pine-marten