A marten in a tree, photographed on February 12, 2017.
Marten, any of several weasel-like carnivores of the genus Martes (family Mustelidae), found in Canada and parts of the United States and in the Old World from Europe to the Malay region. Differing in size and coloration according to species, they have lithe slender bodies, short legs, rounded ears, bushy tails, and soft thick coats that are valuable in the fur trade. Martens are forest-dwelling and usually solitary. They climb easily and feed rapaciously on animals, fruit, and carrion. A litter contains one to five young; the gestation period, especially in northern areas, may last 290 days or more because of a delay before implantation of the fertilized egg in the wall of the uterus.
