Its large, black eyes are set into a fairly broad head that tapers to a pointed nose, quite weasel-like as far as it goes, and the Marten’s large, rounded ears and short limbs made it almost appear cuddly. When one of the Martens took a few seconds to survey the area from its perch, Bob and I had a good look at some of its anatomical features. It was a unique opportunity to observe the Pine Martens in close proximity. These tree dwellers move with ease through the branches using their sharp, curved claws for climbing, and almost seem to defy gravity with their deftness of movement. Across North America, there are several subspecies with the major differences between them being the colour of the fur and body size.įor the life of me, I could not differentiate between the three Pine Martens on site until I had time to look at my photos, and try as I might to get more than one in a frame, I failed to do so.
Pine Martens are more accurately known as American Martens and are members of the Mustelidae family of animals that includes wolverines, fishers, weasels and skunks. I was sure the photographers would be annoyed at our approach, but they motioned us forward and pointed to a tree branch about twenty feet away. Much to my chagrin, the snow crunched noisily beneath our boots. Whether seen frequenting the bird-feeding station along the Spruce Bog Trail or those feeders set below the deck of the Visitor Centre, these small furry mammals delight observers, young and old.ĭuring one winter visit, we came upon three of these long, slender-bodied weasels hanging out at the Mew Lake Campground.Īs we navigated the twists and turns of the frozen road betwixt the tall trees and deserted campsites, a cluster of photographers came into view, their cameras all trained in one direction.īob and I hastily left the confines of our car and tread softly towards the keen nature lovers, as if that was possible. Pine Martens seem to be regular visitors to certain spots in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario at least during late winter.
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