Marten is a slim, fur-covered mammal that looks like an oversized weasel. It lives in mountainous and forested areas of Asia, Europe, and North America.
The best-known North American species is the American marten. It is fairly common in the Rocky Mountains and the Far North from Labrador and Quebec to Alaska. This marten has thick, golden-brown fur with darker feet and a paler face. It usually has an orange patch on the throat and chest. It grows to 26 inches (66 centimeters) long, including its tail. Martens weigh 2 to 3 pounds (0.9 to 1.4 kilograms). The males are slightly larger than the females. The American marten eats birds, mice, rabbits, and squirrels. It lives in hollow trees and rock crevices. About nine months after mating, the female gives birth, usually to two or three young.
The fisher is related to the American marten. A male fisher weighs up to 20 pounds (9 kilograms). It has dark brown or grayish-brown fur. Now rare, the fisher is found in nearly the same areas as the American marten. It lives on the ground or in trees. It eats mostly small rodents. It also feeds on porcupines and snowshoe hares. Well-known European martens include the beech marten, which has white fur on its throat and chest, and the pine marten, with yellowish fur on these parts.
