58-525: Mustela martes Linnaeus, 1758 The European pine marten ( Martes martes ), also known as the pine marten , is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe , Asia Minor , the Caucasus , and parts of Iran , Iraq and Syria . It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List . It is less commonly also known as baum marten or sweet marten. The European pine marten's fur
116-653: A relict population that has escaped notice previously. There have been numerous reported sightings of European pine martens in Cumbria ; however, only in 2011, scat was found and DNA-tested, followed in October 2022 by images of a European pine marten in Grizedale Forest . In July 2015, the first confirmed sighting of a European pine marten in England for over a century was recorded by an amateur photographer in
174-416: A diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels , badgers , otters , polecats , martens , grisons , and wolverines . Otherwise known as mustelids ( / ˈ m ʌ s t ɪ l ɪ d z / ), they form the largest family in the suborder Caniformia of the order Carnivora with about 66 to 70 species in nine subfamilies. Mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour. The smaller variants of
232-479: A healthy European pine marten population occurs, under licence from Scottish Natural Heritage . These individuals were translocated and released in an area of mid-Wales. All of the martens were fitted with radio collars and are being tracked daily to monitor their movements as well as to find out where they have set up territories. During autumn 2016, the VWT planned to capture and release another 20 European pine martens in
290-574: A protected animal species, or to uproot plants. NatureScot's primary role in regard to protected species is to license activities that would otherwise be an offence. NatureScot is responsible for promoting public access and enjoyment of the outdoors. It created and updates the Scottish Outdoor Access Code , which provides detailed guidance on the exercise of the ancient tradition of universal access to land in Scotland, which
348-561: A result, the normal gestation period is extended, sometimes up to a year. This allows the young to be born under favourable environmental conditions. Reproduction has a large energy cost, so it is to a female's benefit to have available food and mild weather. The young are more likely to survive if birth occurs after previous offspring have been weaned . Mustelids are predominantly carnivorous, although some eat vegetable matter at times. While not all mustelids share an identical dentition , they all possess teeth adapted for eating flesh, including
406-574: Is Corumictis wolsani from the early and late Oligocene (early and late Arikareean , Ar1–Ar3) of Oregon . Middle Oligocene Mustelictis from Europe might be a mustelid, as well. Other early fossils of the mustelids were dated at the end of the Oligocene to the beginning of the Miocene. Which of these forms are Mustelidae ancestors and which should be considered the first mustelids is unclear. The fossil record indicates that mustelids appeared in
464-543: Is territorial and marks its home range by depositing feces . Its scat is black and twisted. The recovery of the European pine marten in Ireland has been credited with reducing the population of invasive grey squirrels . Where the range of the expanding European pine marten population meets that of the grey squirrel, the population of the grey squirrels quickly retreats and the red squirrel population recovers. Because
522-665: Is a small population of the European pine marten in Wales . Scat found in Cwm Rheidol forest in 2007 was confirmed by DNA testing to be from a European pine marten. A male was found in 2012 as road kill near Newtown, Powys . This was the first confirmation in Wales of the species, living or dead, since 1971. The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) has begun a reinforcement of these mammals in the mid-Wales area. During autumn 2015, 20 European pine martens were captured in Scotland, in areas where
580-674: Is still quite rare in Ireland , but the population is recovering and spreading; its traditional strongholds are in the west and south, especially the Burren and Killarney National Park , but the population in the Midlands has significantly increased in recent years. A study managed by academics at Queen's University Belfast , using cameras and citizen scientists, published in 2015, showed that European pine martens were distributed across all counties of Northern Ireland . The European pine marten
638-498: Is the only mustelid with semiretractable claws. This enables them to lead more arboreal lifestyles, such as climbing or running on tree branches, although they are also relatively quick runners on the ground. They are mainly active at night and dusk. They have small, rounded, highly sensitive ears and sharp teeth adapted for eating small mammals, birds, insects, frogs, and carrion . They have also been known to eat berries , fruits, birds' eggs, nuts, and honey. The European pine marten
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#1732776260357696-666: Is the operating name for the body formally called Scottish Natural Heritage . It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage , especially its natural , genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government on nature conservation, and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations , i.e. national nature reserves , local nature reserves , national parks , Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation , Special Protection Areas and
754-453: Is usually light to dark brown. It is short and coarse in the summer, growing longer and silkier during the winter. It has a cream- to yellow-coloured "bib" marking on its throat. Its body is up to 53 cm (21 in) long, with a bushy tail of about 25 cm (9.8 in). It weighs around 1.5–1.7 kg (3.3–3.7 lb); males are slightly larger than females. It has excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing. The European pine marten
812-406: Is very bad news for Orkney’s native species. Stoats are accomplished predators and pose a very serious threat to Orkney’s wildlife, including: the native Orkney vole, hen harrier, short-eared owl and many ground nesting birds In 2018, a stoat eradication project was presented by NatureScot to be applied "across Orkney Mainland , South Ronaldsay , Burray , Glimps Holm , Lamb Holm and Hunda , and
870-659: The Galloway Forest has been limited compared with that in the core marten range. Martens were reintroduced to the Glen Trool Forest in the early 1980s and only restricted spread has occurred from there. In England , the European pine marten was considered to be extinct. Analysis of a scat found at Kidland Forest in Northumberland in June 2010 may represent either a recolonisation from Scotland, or
928-544: The Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive . The agency currently employs in the region of 700 people, but much of NatureScot's work is carried out in partnership with others including local authorities, Government bodies, voluntary environmental bodies, community groups, farmers and land managers. The body has offices in most parts of Scotland including the main islands. NatureScot works closely with
986-725: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the equivalent bodies for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to ensure a consistent approach to nature conservation throughout the United Kingdom and towards fulfilling its international obligations. The agency was formed in 1992 as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). In November 2019 it was announced that SNH would be re-branded as NatureScot, however its legal persona and statutory functions would remain unchanged. The change took effect on 24 August 2020. The general aims of NatureScot as established in
1044-772: The RSPB (5 NNRs), the Scottish Wildlife Trust (1 NNR), South Lanarkshire Council (1 NNR), and the Woodland Trust (1 NNR). All NNRs in Scotland are also designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Many also form part of the Natura 2000 network, which covers Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation . Additionally, some of the NNRs are designated as Ramsar sites . There are 40 national scenic areas (NSAs) in Scotland, covering 13% of
1102-664: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 . The European pine marten is one of the national symbols of Croatia and appears on the Croatian euro coins . Previously, the European pine marten appeared on the obverse side of the 1-, 2-, 5-, and 25- Croatian kuna , the word "kuna" meaning "marten" in Croatian . Mustelid The Mustelidae ( / m ʌ ˈ s t ɛ l ɪ d iː / ; from Latin mustela , weasel) are
1160-492: The cats ) and not the Caniformia (those sharing more recent origins with the dogs ). Because mongooses and mustelids occupy similar ecological niches , convergent evolution has led to similarity in form and behavior. Several mustelids, including the mink, the sable (a type of marten), and the stoat (ermine), possess furs that are considered beautiful and valuable, so have been hunted since prehistoric times. From
1218-519: The ferret . Tayra are also kept as pets (although they require a Dangerous Wild Animals licence in the UK), or as working animals for hunting or vermin control. Others have been important in the fur trade —the mink is often raised for its fur . Being one of the most species-rich families in the order Carnivora, the family Mustelidae also is one of the oldest. Mustelid-like forms first appeared about 40 million years ago (Mya), roughly coinciding with
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#17327762603571276-432: The fully aquatic sea otter, which is one of the few nonprimate mammals known to use tools while foraging. It uses "anvil" stones to crack open the shellfish that form a significant part of its diet. It is a " keystone species ", keeping its prey populations in balance so some do not outcompete the others and destroy the kelp in which they live. The black-footed ferret is entirely dependent on another keystone species,
1334-596: The least weasel can be under 20 cm (8 in) in length, while the giant otter of Amazonian South America can measure up to 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) and sea otters can exceed 45 kg (99 lb) in weight. Wolverines can crush bones as thick as the femur of a moose to get at the marrow , and have been seen attempting to drive bears away from their kills. The sea otter uses rocks to break open shellfish to eat. Martens are largely arboreal , while European badgers dig extensive tunnel networks, called setts . Only one mustelid has been domesticated;
1392-548: The local authorities through which a route passes. NatureScot is governed by its board . As of August 2022, the board is made up of twelve members and is chaired by Prof Colin Galbraith. Board members are appointed by Scottish Government ministers for an initial term of four years and normally serve a maximum of two terms. The primary roles of the board are to determine the objectives, strategies and policies of NatureScot in respect to its statutory obligations and guidance from
1450-546: The mid-Miocene climate transition . Contrary to expectations, Law et al. (2018) found no evidence for rapid bursts of lineage diversification at the origin of the Mustelidae, and further analyses of lineage diversification rates using molecular and fossil-based methods did not find associations between rates of lineage diversification and mid-Miocene climate transition as previously hypothesized. Scottish Natural Heritage NatureScot ( Scottish Gaelic : NàdarAlba )
1508-596: The national scenic areas . It receives annual funding from the Government in the form of Grant in Aid to deliver Government priorities for the natural heritage. NatureScot is the Scottish Government's adviser on all aspects of nature, wildlife management and landscape across Scotland, and also helps the Scottish Government meet its responsibilities under European environmental laws, particularly in relation to
1566-629: The national scenic areas . The conservation designations overlap considerably with many protected areas covered by multiple designations. In total around 20% of the area of Scotland is covered by some form of protected area designation, with SSSIs alone covering 13%. National nature reserves (NNRs) are areas of land or water designated under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to contain habitats and species of national importance. NNRs can be owned by public, private, community or voluntary organisations but must be managed to conserve their important habitats and species, as well as providing opportunities for
1624-552: The prairie dog . A family of four ferrets eats 250 prairie dogs in a year; this requires a stable population of prairie dogs from an area of some 500 acres (2.0 km ). Skunks were previously included as a subfamily of the mustelids, but DNA research placed them in their own separate family (Mephitidae). Mongooses bear a striking resemblance to many mustelids, but belong to a distinctly different suborder —the Feliformia (all those carnivores sharing more recent origins with
1682-712: The Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 are to: For the purposes of the Act, Scotland's natural heritage is defined as the flora and fauna of Scotland, its geological and physiographical features and its natural beauty and amenity. Specific responsibilities of NatureScot include: NatureScot has responsibility for the delivery of conservation designations in Scotland, i.e. national nature reserves , local nature reserves , long distance routes , national parks , Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation , Special Protection Areas and
1740-758: The North Pacific was the major economic driving force behind Russian expansion into Kamchatka , the Aleutian Islands , and Alaska , as well as a cause for conflict with Japan and foreign hunters in the Kuril Islands . Together with widespread hunting in California and British Columbia, the species was brought to the brink of extinction until an international moratorium came into effect in 1911. Today, some mustelids are threatened for other reasons. Sea otters are vulnerable to oil spills and
1798-628: The Protected Areas Committee, and the Audit and Risk Committee. NatureScot programmes and priorities have a strong focus on helping to deliver the Scottish Government's National Outcomes and Targets which comprise the National Performance Framework. NatureScot is also a member of SEARS (Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services) . The agency was formed as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in 1992 from
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1856-696: The Scottish Government. Meetings of the NatureScot Board are open to the public to attend as observers. Day-to-day operations are led by the Senior Leadership Team, consisting of a chief executive, who is appointed by the board, and a number of directors and deputy directors. As of August 2022 the Senior Leadership Team comprised: Supporting the Board are three committee, the Scientific Advisory Committee,
1914-581: The amalgamation of the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland and the Countryside Commission for Scotland to "secure the conservation and enhancement of, and to foster understanding and facilitate the enjoyment of the natural heritage of Scotland". In March 2003, Scottish Ministers announced their decision to transfer SNH's headquarters from Edinburgh to Inverness , with around 270 jobs to be transferred. Prior to
1972-402: The appearance of rodents . The common ancestor of modern mustelids appeared about 18 Mya. Within a large range of variation, the mustelids exhibit some common characteristics. They are typically small animals with elongated bodies, short legs, short skulls, short, round ears, and thick fur. Most mustelids are solitary, nocturnal animals, and are active year-round. With the exception of
2030-452: The biosecurity activities delivered on the non-linked islands of the archipelago". The project, which is run by a partnership including NatureScot, RSPB Scotland and Orkney Islands Council , uses "humane DOC150 and DOC200 traps". A report issued in October 2020 stated that over 5,000 traps had been deployed. Specifics were provided as to the locations. Not all was going well as of 15 January 2021, according to The Times which stated that
2088-481: The den around 12–16 weeks after their birth. Larger mammalian predators and birds of prey such as Eurasian lynx , wolverine , red fox , golden eagle , white-tailed eagle , northern goshawk , and Eurasian eagle owl prey on European pine martens, especially young individuals. Humans are the greatest threat to the European pine marten. They are vulnerable to conflict with humans, arising from predator control for other species, or following predation of livestock and
2146-691: The design including achieving an 'Excellent' rating under the BREEAM system. The final design met all criteria and achieved the highest ever BREEAM rating for a public building in the UK. On 1 August 2010, the functions of the Deer Commission for Scotland were transferred to SNH by section 1 of the Public Services (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Commission was dissolved. In 2020 SNH
2204-468: The early Middle Ages, the trade in furs was of great economic importance for northern and eastern European nations with large native populations of fur-bearing mustelids, and was a major economic impetus behind Russian expansion into Siberia and French and English expansion in North America. In recent centuries fur farming , notably of mink, has also become widespread and provides the majority of
2262-481: The family Mustelidae include: Multigene phylogenies constructed by Koepfli et al. (2008) and Law et al. (2018) found that Mustelidae comprises eight living subfamilies. The early mustelids appear to have undergone two rapid bursts of diversification in Eurasia, with the resulting species spreading to other continents only later. Mustelid species diversity is often attributed to an adaptive radiation coinciding with
2320-439: The fur brought to market. One species, the sea mink ( Neogale macrodon ) of New England and Canada, was driven to extinction by fur trappers. Its appearance and habits are almost unknown today because no complete specimens can be found and no systematic contemporary studies were conducted. The sea otter , which has the densest fur of any animal, narrowly escaped the fate of the sea mink. The discovery of large populations in
2378-426: The grey squirrel spends more time on the ground than the red squirrel, which co-evolved with the pine marten, they are thought to be far more likely to come in contact with this predator. The European pine marten has lived to 18 years in captivity, but the maximum age recorded in the wild is only 11 years, with 3–4 years being more typical. They reach sexual maturity at 2–3 years of age. Copulation usually occurs on
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2436-550: The ground and can last more than 1 hour. Mating occurs in July and August but the fertilized egg does not enter the uterus for about 7 months. The young are usually born in late March or early April after a month-long gestation period that happens after the implantation of the fertilized egg, in litters of one to five. Young European pine martens weigh around 30 g (1.1 oz) at birth. The young begin to emerge from their dens around 7–8 weeks after birth and are able to disperse from
2494-594: The hope of creating a self-sustaining population. Following the success of these projects, 35 European pine martens were reintroduced between 2019 and 2021 to the Forest of Dean in South West England where they were last seen in 1860, with the hope that in time they will merge with the growing population in Wales to form a contiguous presence. After successful breeding every year, by 2023 their numbers were estimated to be approaching 60. The European pine marten
2552-519: The indirect effects of overfishing; the black-footed ferret , a relative of the European polecat , suffers from the loss of American prairie ; and wolverine populations are slowly declining because of habitat destruction and persecution. The rare European mink ( Mustela lutreola ) is one of the most endangered mustelid species. The ferret , a domesticated European polecat, is a fairly common pet . The oldest known mustelid from North America
2610-486: The land area of Scotland. The 40 NSAs were originally identified in 1978 by the Countryside Commission for Scotland in 1978 as areas of "national scenic significance... of unsurpassed attractiveness which must be conserved as part of our national heritage". Vulnerable plant and animal species in Scotland are protected under various legislation. In many cases it is an offence to kill or capture members of
2668-724: The late Oligocene period (33 Mya) in Eurasia and migrated to every continent except Antarctica and Australia (all the continents that were connected during or since the early Miocene). They reached the Americas via the Bering land bridge . The 68 recent mustelids (66 extant species) are classified into eight subfamilies in 22 genera: Subfamily Mellivorinae Subfamily Melinae Subfamily Helictidinae Subfamily Guloninae Subfamily Ictonychinae Subfamily Lutrinae ( otters ) Subfamily Mustelinae (weasels, ferrets, and mink) Fossil mustelids Extinct genera of
2726-403: The move, relocation costs were variously estimated at between £22 million and £40 million. The decision to transfer SNH's headquarters was heavily criticized by MSPs , unions, Edinburgh civic leaders and staff. Criticism focused on the cost of the move, the disruption to staff and the risk of compromising the effectiveness of SNH's work. Up to 75% of headquarters staff were reported to be against
2784-503: The move. Relocation took place between 2003 and 2006, many staff left at this point as they did not wish to, or were unable to transfer location. In 2006, SNH headquarters staff moved into Great Glen House, a £15 million purpose-built headquarters building in Inverness. Great Glen House was built by Robertson Property, working with Keppie Design. As part of the tendering process, SNH set seven environmental and sustainability criteria for
2842-439: The presence of shearing carnassials . One characteristic trait is a meat-shearing upper-back molar that is rotated 90°, towards the inside of the mouth. With variation between species, the most common dental formula is 3.1.3.1 3.1.3.2 . The fisher , tayra, and martens are partially arboreal, while badgers are fossorial . A number of mustelids have aquatic lifestyles, ranging from semiaquatic minks and river otters to
2900-403: The project "has been hit by alleged sabotage after the destruction and theft of traps that have also killed and injured household pets and other animals" but added that the £6 million programme was supported by most islanders. Another news item stated that some of the traps had "caught and killed family pets as well as hundreds of other animals". A subsequent report confirmed that "Police Scotland
2958-529: The public to enjoy and engage with nature. There are currently 43 NNRs in Scotland, which cover 154,250 hectares (1,542.5 km ). NatureScot is responsible for designating NNRs in Scotland and for overseeing their maintenance and management. The majority of NNRs are directly managed by NatureScot; however, some are managed by, or in co-operation with other bodies, including the National Trust for Scotland (7 NNRs), Forestry and Land Scotland (5 NNRs),
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#17327762603573016-400: The sea otter they have anal scent glands that produce a strong-smelling secretion the animals use for sexual signalling and marking territory . Most mustelid reproduction involves embryonic diapause . The embryo does not immediately implant in the uterus , but remains dormant for some time. No development takes place as long as the embryo remains unattached to the uterine lining. As
3074-471: The use of inhabited buildings for denning. Martens may also be affected by woodland loss, which results in habitat loss for the animal. Persecution (illegal poisoning and shooting), loss of habitat leading to fragmentation, and other human disturbances have caused a considerable decline in the European pine marten population. In some areas, they are also prized for their very fine fur. In the UK, European pine martens and their dens are offered full protection under
3132-886: The woodlands of Shropshire . Sightings have continued in the area and juveniles were recorded in 2019, indicating a breeding population. In July 2017, footage of a live European pine marten was captured by a camera trap in the North York Moors in Yorkshire ; in March 2018, the first ever footage of a European pine marten in Northumberland was captured by the Back from the Brink pine marten project. The European pine marten's presence in Southern England's New Forest
3190-678: Was confirmed in 2021. In September 2022, the first European pine marten to be seen in London in a century was spotted by the Zoological Society of London 's wildlife cameras as part of a hedgehog monitoring program. The Kent Wildlife Trust in collaboration with the Sussex Wildlife Trust announced a project in February 2024 to assess the feasibility of reintroducing European pine martens to South East England . There
3248-644: Was for many years common only in northwestern Scotland . A study in 2012 found that it has spread from the Scottish Highlands north into Sutherland and Caithness and southeastwards from the Great Glen into Moray , Aberdeenshire , Perthshire , Tayside , and Stirlingshire , with some in the Central Belt , on the Kintyre and Cowal peninsulas, and on Skye and Mull . The expansion in
3306-601: Was formally codified by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 . It also hosts the National Access Forum, which brings together all bodies with an interest in land access issues. NatureScot also support the management of the three regional parks . It acts as the "custodian" of Scotland's Great Trails , maintaining the official list and providing some finance and publicity to the trails, although responsibility for creating and maintaining each route lies with
3364-496: Was re-branded as NatureScot. In support of its statutory duties, NatureScot undertakes many individual projects across Scotland, often in collaboration with land managers, charities and local communities. The introduction of alien stoats since 2010 has created serious problems for native species in Orkney : The introduction of a ground predator like the stoat to islands such as Orkney, where there are no native ground predators,
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