by: Janet Boss
FALL 1987
The American marten was once present in all of the Atlantic provinces. Since the early 1900s, however, only remnant populations remain. The decline in numbers is blames on loss of habitat and on over-trapping. National Parks offer protected areas where there is neither logging nor trapping and Park staff hoped that habitat suitable for the reintroduction of marten would be available. If nucleus populations could be established in and around some of Atlantic Canada's National Parks, marten could once again become more common in Atlantic Canada.
The marten is a member of the weasel family. Females weight 450-550 g (1 to 1.4 lbs.) and males 700-900 g (1.5 to 2.0 lbs.). They have a long slender body, small head with large round ears, dark brown (black) eyes, a short pointed muzzle, and a bushy tail about half as long as the body. The fur is quite long and varies in color from light buff to reddish and dark browns. The face is lighter and an orange or buff colored throat patch extends from the chin to the front legs. The feet and legs are dark brown or black.
The claws are cat-like and semi-retractable - probably an adaption to tree climbing. The animal's two offset tracks are generally about 3.7 cm (1.5in.) long with a bounding gait. Mink tracks are similar but smaller.
They are slow to mature, raising their first young at three years of age. their average life span is estimated at six to eight years in the wild.
Marten are generally believed to be solitary animals except during mating season. curious and excitable, they may have a home range varying from 2.5 km2 to 38 km2 depending upon food availability. Very versatile and efficient predators, they will eat anything from mice, chipmunks, rabbits and shrews to insects, reptiles, fruits and berries. they prefer mature coniferous forests where prey is abundant. However, in recent years they have been observed in mixed forests as well as cutovers adjacent to standing timber.
As a result of the 1980-81 feasibility study by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada-Parks undertook several marten reintroductions. The first was at Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland in 1982-83, where eight marten were relocated from western Newfoundland. This reintroduction had limited success - three of the marten were caught in traps the following winter. In 1984-85 in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, a more successful reintroduction was carried out. Twenty-five marten were released and to date, through radio-telemetry and winter tracking, 19 have been located in the park and surrounding area.
In 1986, 20 marten - nine females and 11 males - were live-trapped by local trappers in northern New Brunswick to be introduced to Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia. before being taken to Kejimkujik these animals were quarantined at Fundy National Park for 90 days. Each was vaccinated against rabies and eight were fitted with radio collars - four males and four females. Only one female successfully gave birth in captivity, (two young during the week of April 20th).
In May of 1987, a series of four "gentle releases" started. A gentle release means that animals to be freed are held in cages in the release area for a short period to become familiar with the landscape and to reduce chances of them bolting when the cage is opened.
Following release, the eight collared animals were tracked by foot, vehicle, boat and air. true to their reputation, some of the marten did move far and wide. Only one male remained close to the release area. He appears to have set up a territory of approximately two km2. One of the females circled Kejimkujik Lake and set up a small territory on the opposite side. The other three females travelled an average of 23 km before settling and establishing a home range.
By contrast, the remaining three collared males travelled very long distances. One travelled over 55 km to Liverpool in a little less than 17 days. He was recaptured and returned to the Park to be released again. Since his second release he appears to be staying within a range of six to eight km of the release area. Another male travelled approximately 50 km in the opposite direction. The third had not been heard from since his release, despite extensive searching both inside and outside the Park boundaries by vehicle and aircraft. He may have had a faulty radio collar; however, given the distances the other two males travelled it is more probable that he has moved well outside the range of the telemetry equipment.
In August nine marten, seized from an illegal animal farm, were received from the New Brunswick Department of Lands and Forestry and Energy. Three were collared and are being monitored.
To date 31 marten have been released in Kejimkujik National Park, with an additional 20 scheduled for either early this winter or late next spring. We know from sightings and radio telemetry that a number of these marten are living outside the park boundaries either all or part of the time. So it is quite possible that marten may be trapped this season by trappers seeking other species. because of the low numbers involved, the marten's slow sexual maturation and the short time since their release, it is very important that any captured alive are released if possible. The animals are spread over a large area. For the reintroduction to be a success they will require time to explore and establish their own territories and to generate offspring.
If you are a trapper or a person who spends considerable time in the woods and are fortunate enough to observe a marten or its tracks, please report it to the Warden Service at Kejimkujik National Park, 242-2798 or 242-2770 (collect calls accepted). Such information is vital to the success of this project. In time, with the support and cooperation of people like yourself, we hope the American marten will again reside in our forests.