# Pacific Marten

*Martes caurina*

Pacific Martens can rotate their hind ankles 180 degrees, allowing them to climb down tree trunks headfirst just like squirrels.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Carnivora › Mustelidae › Martes
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Late-successional coniferous forests with abundant coarse woody debris and canopy cover.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous, primarily preying on small mammals like voles and squirrels, supplemented by birds, insects, fruit, and fungi.
- **Range:** Pacific Northwest of North America, Cascade Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains
- **Size:** 48-68 cm in length (including tail), weighing 0.5-1.4 kg
- **Lifespan:** 5 to 10 years in the wild
- **Active:** crepuscular
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation from logging, wildfire, loss of old-growth forest structures, and climate change.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and generally shy. Maintain a safe distance of 15-20 feet and enjoy watching its acrobatic movements. Do not attempt to corner, feed, or touch it, as it may bite defensively if trapped. In the rare event of a bite, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention to prevent infection.

## About

The Pacific marten ( Martes caurina ) is a species of North American mammal, a member of the family Mustelidae. It is found throughout western North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/6fd3d44b-1a3c-4863-a0a4-4b9903ad0444
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/453111
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martes caurina
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/347863998/medium.jpg (Sam Eberhard, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.