the sheath-tailed mouse ( mus fragilicauda ) is a mouse found in two locations in central thailand and in laos .

they were discovered and documented in 2002 .

it is the only known mus species to lose its tail integument when handled .

it is sometimes found with the fawn-colored mouse .

sheath - tailed mouse

the sheath - tailed mouse ( mus fragilicauda ) is a mouse found in two locations in central thailand and in laos .
long - tailed climbing mouse - vandeleuria nilagirica the long - tailed climbing mouse is found in india . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
koopman ' s pencil - tailed tree mouse - chiropodomys karlkoopmani koopman ' s pencil - tailed tree mouse is found in indonesia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
isabel naked - tailed rat - solomys sapientis the isabel naked - tailed rat is found in blank . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
mentawai long - tailed giant rat - leopoldamys siporanus the mentawai long - tailed giant rat is found in indonesia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
bushy - tailed jird - sekeetamys calurus the bushy - tailed jird is found in egypt , israel , jordan , saudi arabia , and sudan . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
fat - tailed gerbil - pachyuromys duprasi the fat - tailed gerbil is found in algeria , egypt , libya , mauritania , morocco , tunisia , and western sahara . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
gould’s mouse - pseudomys gouldii gould’s mouse was found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
smoky mouse - pseudomys fumeus the smokey mouse is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
hastings river mouse - pseudomys oralis hastings river mouse is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
cairo spiny mouse - acomys cahirinus the cairo spiny mouse is found in blank . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
dusky hopping mouse - notomys fuscus the dusky hopping mouse is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
fawn hopping mouse - notomys cervinus the fawn hopping mouse is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
lakeland downs mouse - leggadina lakedownensis the lakeland downs mouse is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
mindanao shrew mouse - crunomys melanius the mindanao shrew mouse is found in philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
northern hopping mouse - notomys aquilo the northern hopping mouse is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
shark bay mouse - pseudomys fieldi the shark bay mouse is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
camiguin forest mouse - apomys camiguinensis the camiguin forest mouse is found in the philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
asia minor spiny mouse - acomys cilicicus the asia minor spiny mouse is found in turkey . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
broad - toothed mouse - mastacomys fuscus the broad - toothed mouse is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
mayor ' s mouse - mus mayori mayor ' s mouse is found in sri lanka . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
the house mouse has been domesticated as the pet or fancy mouse , and as the laboratory mouse , which is one of the most important model organisms in biology and medicine . the complete mouse reference genome was sequenced in 2002 . [ 2 ] [ 3 ] it is by far the most commonly genetically altered mammal in scientific research . [ 4 ]
the ryukyu mouse ( mus caroli ) is a species of rodent in the family muridae .
had a traditional annual
mouse day
celebration . in the eastern balkans ( most of
golden spiny mouse - acomys russatus the golden spiny mouse is found in deserts and savannas . source : animal diversity web intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
moro , dorian ; morris , keith ( 2000 ) .
movements and refugia of lakeland downs short - tailed mice , leggadina lakedownensis , and house mice , mus domesticus , on thevenard island , western australia
.
cameroon soft - furred mouse - praomys morio the cameroon soft - furred mouse is found in cameroon and equatorial guinea . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
wood mouse - apodemus sylvaticus the wood mouse is found in found throughout most of europe and in northern africa . . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
yellow - necked mouse - apodemus flavicollis the yellow - necked mouse is found in most of europe and in parts of asia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
golden spiny mouse - acomys russatus the golden spiny mouse is found in egypt , israel , jordan , oman , saudi arabia , and yemen . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
neitz , maureen ; neitz , jay ( 2001 ) .
the uncommon retina of the common house mouse
.
new zealand had no land mammals other than the lesser short - tailed bat ( mystacina tuberculata ) prior to human occupation , and the house mouse is one of many species that have been introduced . mice are responsible for a reduction in native bird species since they eat some of the same foods as birds . they are also known to kill lizards and have a large effect on native insects . [ 72 ]
the mouse as vizier , sourced to : emma brunner - traut , tiergeschichten aus dem pharaonenland , mainz , zabern , 2000 .
house mouse - mus musculus the house mouse is found on all continents , except for antarctica . it is an introduced species in north america , south america , and australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
; they are averse to bright lights . the average sleep time of a captive house mouse is reported to be 12 . 5 hours per day .
arabian spiny mouse - acomys dimidiatus the arabian spiny mouse is found in egypt , iran , iraq , israel , jordan , lebanon , oman , pakistan , palestinian territory , saudi arabia , syria , united arab emirates , and yemen . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
dobson , f stephen ; jacquot , catherine ; baudoin , claude ( october 2000 ) .
an experimental test of kin association in the house mouse
.
calderone , jack b . ; jacobs , gerald h . ( 2009 ) .
regional variations in the relative sensitivity to uv light in the mouse retina
.
the house mouse ( mus musculus ) is a small mammal of the order rodentia , characteristically having a pointed snout , small rounded ears , and a long naked or almost hairless tail . it is one of the most numerous species of the genus mus . although a wild animal , the house mouse mainly lives in association with humans .
kimoto , hiroko ; haga , sachiko ; sato , koji ; touhara , kazushige ( 2005 ) .
sex - specific peptides from exocrine glands stimulate mouse vomeronasal sensory neurons
.
patris , b ; baudoin , c ( october 2000 ) .
a comparative study of parental care between two rodent species : implications for the mating system of the mound - building mouse mus spicilegus
.
frynta , daniel ; slábová , markéta ; váchová , hana ; volfová , radka ; munclinger , pavel ( 2005 ) .
aggression and commensalism in house mouse : a comparative study across europe and the near east
.
many more names have been given to house mice , but are now regarded as synonyms of other subspecies . some populations are hybrids of different subspecies , including the japanese house mouse ( m . m . molossinus ) . [ 18 ]
importance of mice as a house and agricultural pest resulted in a development of a variety of mice - related rituals and stories in world ' s cultures . the ancient egyptians had a story about
the mouse as vizier
. [ 75 ]
house mice can sometimes transmit diseases , contaminate food , and damage food packaging . although the us centers for disease control and prevention gives a list with diseases transmitted by rodents , [ 62 ] only few of the diseases are transmitted through the house mouse .
cucchi , thomas ; vigne , jean - denis ; auffray , jean - christophe ( 2005 ) .
first occurrence of the house mouse ( mus musculus domesticus schwarz & schwarz , 1943 ) in the western mediterranean : a zooarchaeological revision of subfossil occurrences
.
in the state of georgia ; however , no pcr - positive mice were detected in our study . eruptions of mouse populations in the absence of rats have been implicated in several outbreaks of murine typhus ; however , these observations were not supported by laboratory data .
in open areas such as shrubs and fields , the house mouse population is known as noncommensal . these populations are often limited by water or food supply and have large territories . [ 25 ] female - female aggression in the noncommensal house mouse populations is much higher , reaching a level generally attributed to free - ranging species . male aggression is also higher in noncommensal populations . in commensal populations , males come into contact with other males quite frequently due to high population densities and aggression must be mediated or the risk of injury becomes too great . [ 24 ]
thonhauser , k . e . ; thob , m . ; musolf , k . ; klaus , t . ; penn , d . j . ( 2014 ) .
multiple paternity in wild house mouse ( mus musculus musculus ) : effects on offspring genetic diversity and body mass
.
the social behaviour of the house mouse is not rigidly fixed into species - specific patterns but is instead adaptable to the environmental conditions , such as the availability of food and space . [ 24 ] [ 25 ] this adaptability allows house mice to inhabit diverse areas ranging from sandy dunes to apartment buildings . [ 24 ]
boursot , p . ; din , w . ; anand , r . ; darviche , d . ; dod , b . ; von deimling , f . ; talwar , g . p . ; bonhomme , f . ( 1996 ) .
origin and radiation of the house mouse : mitochondrial dna phylogeny
.
harvest mouse - micromys minutus the harvest mouse is found in armenia , austria , azerbaijan , belarus , belgium , bosnia and herzegovina , bulgaria , china , croatia , czech republic , denmark , estonia , finland , france , georgia , germany , greece , hungary , india , italy , north korea , south korea , latvia , lithuania , luxembourg , macedonia , moldova , mongolia , montenegro , myanmar , netherlands , poland , romania , the russian federation , serbia , slovakia , slovenia , spain , switzerland , taiwan , turkey , ukraine , united kingdom , and vietnam . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
many studies have been done on mouse phylogenies to reconstruct early human movements . for example , one study suggests the possibility of a previously unsuspected early link between northern europe and madeira on the basis of the origin of madeiran mice . [ 59 ] house mice were thought to be the primary reason for the taming of the domestic cat .
intrauterine insemination causes an evolutionary consequence resulting from polyandrous behavior . [ 53 ] when multiple males mate with one female , there are multiple sets of sperm gametes in a female mouse . offspring fertilized by multiple females can compete more strongly for mother ' s resources and can lead to a decrease in body size and variation in body size . [ 53 ]
house mice usually live less than one year in the wild , due to a high level of predation and exposure to harsh environments . in protected environments , however , they often live two to three years . the methuselah mouse prize is a competition to breed or engineer extremely long - lived laboratory mice . as of 2005 [ update ] , the record holder was a genetically engineered mouse that lived for 1 , 819 days ( 4 years , 358 days ) . [ 54 ] another record holder that was kept in an enriched environment but did not receive any genetic , pharmacological , or dietary treatment lived for 1 , 551 days ( 4 years , 90 days ) . [ 55 ] [ 56 ]
both commensal and noncommensal house mouse males aggressively defend their territory and act to exclude all intruders . males mark their territory by scent marking with urine . in marked territories , intruders showed significantly lower aggression than the territory residents . [ 25 ] house mice show a male - biased dispersal ; males generally leave their birth sites and migrate to form new territories whereas females generally stay and are opportunistic breeders rather than seasonal . [ 29 ]
the first written reference to mice kept as pets occurs in the erya , the oldest extant chinese dictionary , from a mention in an 1100 bc version . [ 60 ] human domestication led to numerous strains of
fancy
or hobby mice with a variety of colours and a docile temperament . [ 61 ] domestic varieties of the house mouse are bred as a food source for some carnivorous pet reptiles , birds , arthropods , and fish . [ 61 ]
both evolutionary and behavioral consequences result from the polygamous nature of the house mouse . one consequence is the paternal investment , which is lower in polygamous mice than in mice that are monogamous . [ 44 ] this occurs due to the fact that males spend more time involved in sexual competition than do females , leaving less time for paternal care . [ 44 ] polygamous male house mice spend less time alone with pups . [ 44 ] they are also less likely and slower to retrieve lost pups than males of monogamous mice . [ 44 ] in contrast , the maternal investment is similar between female mice that have mated once versus multiply . [ 44 ]
rickettsialpox , caused by the bacterium rickettsia akari and similar to chickenpox , is spread by mice in general , but is very rare and generally mild and resolves within 2–3 weeks if untreated . no known deaths have resulted from the disease . murine typhus ( also called endemic typhus ) is caused by the bacterium rickettsia typhi , and is transmitted by the fleas that infest rats . while rat fleas are the most common vectors , cat fleas and mouse fleas are less common modes of transmission . [ 69 ] endemic typhus is highly treatable with antibiotics . the us cdc currently does not mention rickettsialpox or murine typhus on its website about diseases directly transmitted by rodents ( in general ) [ 62 ]
following copulation , female mice will normally develop a copulation plug which prevents further copulation . the plug is not necessary for pregnancy initiation , as this will also occur without the plug . the presence or absence of the plug will not affect litter size either . [ 40 ] this plug stays in place for some 24 hours . the gestation period is about 19–21 days , and they give birth to a litter of 3–14 young ( average six to eight ) . one female can have 5 to 10 litters per year , so the mouse population can increase very quickly . breeding occurs throughout the year . ( however , animals living in the wild do not reproduce in the colder months , even though they do not hibernate . )
gregory , simon g . ; sekhon , mandeep ; schein , jacqueline ; zhao , shaying ; osoegawa , kazutoyo ; scott , carol e . ; evans , richard s . ; burridge , paul w . ; cox , tony v . ; fox , christopher a . ; hutton , richard d . ; mullenger , ian r . ; phillips , kimbly j . ; smith , james ; stalker , jim ; threadgold , glen j . ; birney , ewan ; wylie , kristine ; chinwalla , asif ; wallis , john ; hillier , ladeana ; carter , jason ; gaige , tony ; jaeger , sara ; kremitzki , colin ; layman , dan ; maas , jason ; mcgrane , rebecca ; mead , kelly ; et al . ( 2002 ) .
a physical map of the mouse genome
.
chinwalla , asif t . ; cook , lisa l . ; delehaunty , kimberly d . ; fewell , ginger a . ; fulton , lucinda a . ; fulton , robert s . ; graves , tina a . ; hillier , ladeana w . ; mardis , elaine r . ; mcpherson , john d . ; miner , tracie l . ; nash , william e . ; nelson , joanne o . ; nhan , michael n . ; pepin , kymberlie h . ; pohl , craig s . ; ponce , tracy c . ; schultz , brian ; thompson , johanna ; trevaskis , evanne ; waterston , robert h . ; wendl , michael c . ; wilson , richard k . ; yang , shiaw - pyng ; an , peter ; berry , eric ; birren , bruce ; bloom , toby ; brown , daniel g . ; et al . ( 2002 ) .
initial sequencing and comparative analysis of the mouse genome
.
house mice have two forms of social behaviour , the expression of which depends on the environmental context . house mice in buildings and other urbanized areas with close proximity to humans are known as commensal . [ 24 ] commensal mice populations often have an excessive food source resulting in high population densities and small home ranges . this causes a switch from territorial behaviour to a hierarchy of individuals . [ 24 ] [ 26 ] when populations have an excess of food , there is less female - female aggression , which usually occurs to gain access to food or to prevent infanticide . [ 24 ] male - male aggression occurs in commensal populations , mainly to defend female mates and protect a small territory . [ 24 ] [ 25 ] the high level of male - male aggression , with a low female - female aggression level is common in polygamous populations . [ 27 ] the social unit of commensal house mouse populations generally consists of one male and two or more females , usually related . [ 27 ] [ 28 ] these groups breed cooperatively , with the females communally nursing . this cooperative breeding and rearing by related females helps increase reproductive success . when no related females are present , breeding groups can form from non - related females . [ 28 ]
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
this species is highly distinct genetically , but morphologically very similar to m . cervicolor , therefore , this species is probably much more widespread , as some specimens are hidden within m . cervicolor ( musser and carleton 2005 ) .
justification : listed as least concern as it seems like a very adaptable and common species at two sites , and has no known threats .
this species is known from localities in nahkon ratchasima ( khorat ) province in south central thailand : the type locality , ban nong sanga ( 14°32 ' 33 ' ' n , 101°57 ' 44 ' ' e ) , and tumbon , both 50 km sse from the town of khorat ( auffray et al . 2003 , musser and carleton 2005 ) . the species has been recorded in the loei forest in thailand ( chaisiri et al . 2012 ) . it has also been recorded from lamam , sekong province , in lao pdr ( k . aplin pers . comm . ) .
it was found in dry grass and patches of pygmy bamboo along roadsides or dikes bordering dry rice fields ( musser and carleton 2005 ) . it has been recorded in sympatry with m . cervicolor , and m . caroli were also found .
it is not known from any protected areas . further survey work is needed to determine whether or not it is widespread through the region .
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binomial name : mus fragilicauda ( jean - christophe auffray et al . , 2003 )
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. 2003 ; musser and carleton 2005 ) . it has also been recorded from lamam , sekong province , in lao pdr ( k . aplin pers . comm . ) . additional field surveys and reexamination of museum specimens may reveal an even wider range .
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to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
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musser , guy g . , and michael d . carleton / wilson , don e . , and deeann m . reeder , eds .
mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , 3rd ed . , vol . 2
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
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biokids is sponsored in part by the interagency education research initiative . it is a partnership of the university of michigan school of education , university of michigan museum of zoology , and the detroit public schools . this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation under grant drl - 0628151 . copyright © 2002 - 2018 , the regents of the university of michigan . all rights reserved .
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new & recent described flora & fauna species from all over the world esp . asia , oriental , indomalayan & malesiana region
molecular , chromosomal and morphometric analyses of wild - caught mice of subgenus mus from the central plain of thailand are presented . these specimens are distinct from all species previously described in the literature . this has led to the characterization of mus fragilicauda sp . n . , a new member of the set of closely related species encompassed by the subgenus . while this species may be considered as a sibling and sympatric species of the asian m . cervicolor , m . fragilicauda sp . n . is phylogenetically closer to the m . musculus complex of species and to the other european species of mus .
jean - christophe auffray , annie orth , josette catalan , jean - paul gonzalez , eric desmarais , françois bonhomme . 2003 . phylogenetic position and description of a new species of subgenus mus ( rodentia , mammalia ) from thailand . zoologica scripta . 32 ( 2 ) : 119–127 . doi : 10 . 1046 / j . 1463 - 6409 . 2003 . 00108 . x
wuodendron b . xue , y . h . tan & chaowasku wuodendron praecox ( hook . f . & thomson ) b . xue , y . h . tan & x . l . hou in xue , tan . . .
[ botany • 2017 ] begonia fulgurata | ดาดดารารัศมี • a new species ( sect . diploclinium , begoniaceae ) from chiang mai , northern thailand
begonia fulgurata c . - i peng , c . w . lin & phutthai ดาดดารารัศมี | | doi : 10 . 3767 / blumea . 2017 . 62 . 03 . 01 urltoken be . . .
chamaelirium viridiflorum l . wang , z . c . liu & w . b . liao in liu , feng , wang & liao , 2018 . doi : 10 . 11646 / phytotaxa . 357 . . . .
great - billed seed - finch sporophila maximiliani ( cabanis , 1851 ) in ubaid , silveira , medolago , et . al . , 2018 . doi : 10 . 11646 / . . .
endocerids with their filtering apparatus in mironenko , 2018 . doi : 10 . 1080 / 08912963 . 2018 . 1491565 reconstruction by andre . . .
aristolochia tongbiguanensis j . y . shen , q . b . gong & s . landrein in gong , landrein , xi , et al . , 2018 . doi : 10 . 6165 / tai . . . .
bagualosaurus agudoensis pretto , langer & schultz , 2018 doi : 10 . 1093 / zoolinnean / zly028 illustration : jorge blanco c . . .
the hypothetical phylogenetic relationships of ceratosaurs based on current topologies . the main source is from wang et al . ( 2016 . . .
nipponosaurus sachalinensis nagao , 1936 in takasaki , chiba , kobayashi , et al . , 2018 ニッポノサウルス | | doi : 10 . 1080 / 08912963 . 2017 . . . .
begonia medogensis jianw . li , y . h . tan & x . h . jin in li , tan , wang , et al . , 2018 . doi : 10 . 3897 / phytokeys . 103 . 25392 . . .
[ ornithology • 2013 ] rediscovery of a long - lost la . . .
[ entomology • 2013 ] nyctomyia ( nyx ) pholeocola • a . . .
partial solar elipse to be visible from parts of australia , new zealand and antarctica on firday 13 july 2018 .
on this day ( july 10th ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
the benefits and costs of academic travel . or
there and back again ; again and again
canon renueva su gama de 70 - 200 mm f : 2 . 8 y f : 4
plants go extinct , but sometimes species are rediscovered . this one after 151 years .
i ' m killing antediluvian salad but even in death there is rebirth . . .
necps carnivorous plant show : sept . 9 - 10 at tower hill botanical garden
this is a particularly beautiful species of centrolenid - the granular glass frog , cochranella granulosa .
it is found in cambodia , china , indonesia , japan , laos , malaysia , taiwan , thailand , and vietnam .
please note that this non - official list is not complete nor necessarily accurate . this list is a summary of checklists from other websites , blogs , publications , photo / videos published on various websites or our own findings . we appreciate your contributions with photo proof .
important note ; our range maps are generated automatically based on very limited data we have about the protected sites , the data is not necessarily accurate . please help us to improve our range maps by sharing your findings / knowledge .
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with around 711 species , this is the largest family of rodents and mammals . they are native to africa , europe , asia , and australia , but they have been introduced around the world and today are found in all parts of the world , except for antarctica .
they are found in all types of habitats including swamps , grasslands , tundra , deciduous forests , coniferous forests , rainforests , deserts , wetlands , mountains , and suburban , and urban areas .
many species in this family have small bodies , long tails , round ears , round eyes , and pointed noses with whiskers . in most species in this family , females give birth to large litters of between 6 - 13 young . females usually have more than one litter a year and the young are ready to mate when they are a month or two old . because they are prey for other animals , most species in this family only live for a year or two in the wild .
some species are nocturnal ; some are active in the day . some species live in trees , while others are ground dwellers and others live in underground burrows . some species are herbivores , others are carnivores , and some are omnivores .
least concern near threatened vulnerable endangered critically endangered extinct in wild extinct status and range is taken from icun redlist . if no status is listed , there is not enough data to establish status .
anderson ' s gerbil - gerbillus andersoni anderson ' s gerbil is found in egypt , israel , jordan , libyaa , and tunisia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
black rat - rattus rattus the black rat is native to india and pakistan , but it was introduced , beginning in ancient times , to other regions in asia as well as africa and europe . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
blick ' s grass rat - arvicanthis blicki blick ' s grass rat is found in ethiopia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
brants’s whistling rat - parotomys brantsii brants’s whistling rat is found in botswana , namibia , and south africa . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
norway rat - rattus norvegicus the norway rat is native to china , japan , and the russian federation , but it has been introduced around the world . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
camiguin forest rat - bullimus gamay the camiguin forest rat is found in the philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
central rock - rat - zyzomys pedunculatus the central rock - rat is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
cheesman’s gerbil - gerbillus cheesmani cheesman’s gerbil is found in iran , iraq , jordan , kuwait , oman , saudi arabia , syria , united arab emirates , and yemen . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
false swamp rat - xeromys myoides the false swamp rat is found in australia and papua new guinea . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
fat sand rat - psammomys obesus the fat sand rat is found in algeria , egypt , israel , jordan , libya , mauritania , morocco , saudi arabia , sudan , syriac , and tunisia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
luzon crateromys - crateromys schadenbergi the luzon crateromys is found in philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
greater egyptian gerbil - gerbillus pyramidum the greater egyptian gerbil is found in chad , egypt , mali , niger , and sudan . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
greater stick - nest rat - leporillus conditor the greater stick - nest rat is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
lataste’s gerbil - gerbillus latastei lataste’s gerbil is found in libya and tunisia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
lesser egyptian gerbil - gerbillus gerbillus the lesser egyptian gerbil is found in algeria , chad , egypt , israel , jordan , libya , mali , mauritania , morocco , niger , sudan , tunisia , and western sahara . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
lesser marmoset rat - hapalomys delacouri the lesser marmoset rat is found in china , laos , and vietnam . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
lesser stick - nest rat - leporillus apicalis the lesser stick - nest rat is found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
libyan jird - meriones libycus the libyan jird is found in afghanistan , algeria , azerbaijan , china , egypt , iran , iraq , jordan , kazakhstan , kuwait , libya , mauritania , morocco , pakistan , qatar , saudi arabia , syria , tajikistan , tunisia , turkey , turkmenistan , uzbekistan , and western sahara . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
luzon batomys - batomys granti the luzon batomys is found in the philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
margaret’s haeromys - haeromys margarettae margaret’s haeromys is found in malaysia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
mindanao montane forest apomys - apomys insignis the mindanao montane forest apomys is found in the philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
north african gerbil - gerbillus campestris the north african gerbil is found in algeria , egypt , libya , mali , morocco , niger , sudan , and tunisia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
northern luzon phloeomys - phloeomys pallidus the northern luzon phloeomys is found in the philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
okinawa spiny rat - tokudaia muenninki the okinawa spiny rat is found in blank . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
pale gerbil - gerbillus perpallidus the pale gerbil is found in egypt . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
panay crateromys - crateromys heaneyi the panay crateromys is found in the philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
pleasant gerbil - gerbillus amoenus the pleasant gerbil is found in egypt and libya . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
pygmy gerbil - gerbillus henleyi the pygmy gerbil is found in algeria , burkina faso , chad , egypt , israel , jordan , libya , mali , mauritania , morocco , niger , oman , saudi arabia , senegal , sudan , tunisia , and yemen . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
rajah sundaic maxomy - maxomys rajah the rajah sundaic maxomy is found in brunei darussalam , indonesia , malaysia , and thailand . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
russet batomys - batomys russatus the russet batomys is found in the philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
sahyadris forest rat - rattus satarae the sahyadris forest rat is found in india . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
shaw ' s jird - meriones shawi shaw ' s jird is found in algeria , egypt , libyaa , morocco , and tunisia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
southern luzon phloeomys - phloeomys cumingi the southern luzon phloeomys is found in the philippines . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
sundaic arboreal niviventer - niviventer cremoriventer the sundaic arboreal niviventer is found in indonesia , malaysia , singapore , and thailand . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
sundevall’s jird - meriones crassus sundevall’s jird is found in afghanistan , algeria , bahrain , egypt , iran , iraq , israel , jordan , kuwait , libya , morocco , niger , oman , pakistan , saudi arabia , sudan , syria , tunisia , turkey , united arab emirates , and western sahara . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
sundevall’s jird - meriones crassus sundevall’s jirds live in sandy soil in hot and dry environments . source : animal diversity web intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
wagner’s gerbil - gerbillus dasyurus wagner’s gerbil is found in egypt , iraq , israel , jordan , lebanon , oman , saudi arabia , syria , turkey , united arab emirates , and yemen . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
white - footed rabbit - rat - conilurus albipes the white - footed rabbit - rat was found in australia . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
whitheead ' s spiny rat - maxomys whiteheadi whitheead ' s spiny rat is found in brunei darussalam , indonesia , malaysia , and thailand . source : arkive intended audience : general reading level : middle school teacher section : yes
newborn males and females can be distinguished on close examination as the anogenital distance in males is about double that of the female . [ 9 ] from the age of about 10 days , females have five pairs of mammary glands and nipples ; males have no nipples . [ 10 ] when sexually mature , the most striking and obvious difference is the presence of testicles on the males . these are large compared to the rest of the body and can be retracted into the body .
in addition to the regular pea - sized thymus organ in the chest , house mice have a second functional pinhead - sized thymus organ in the neck next to the trachea . [ 16 ]
mice are mammals of the glires clade , which means they are amongst the closest relatives of humans other than lagomorphs , treeshrews , flying lemurs and other primates .
house mice usually run , walk , or stand on all fours , but when eating , fighting , or orienting themselves , they rear up on their hind legs with additional support from the tail - a behaviour known as
tripoding
. mice are good jumpers , climbers , and swimmers , and are generally considered to be
they live in a wide variety of hidden places near food sources , and construct nests from various soft materials . mice are territorial , and one dominant male usually lives together with several females and young . dominant males respect each other ' s territories and normally enter another ' s territory only if it is vacant . if two or more males are housed together in a cage , they often become aggressive unless they have been raised together from birth .
mice are generally afraid of rats which often kill and eat them , a behavior known as muricide . despite this , free - living populations of rats and mice do exist together in forest areas in new zealand , north america , and elsewhere . house mice are generally poor competitors and in most areas cannot survive away from human settlements in areas where other small mammals , such as wood mice , are present . [ 22 ] however , in some areas ( such as australia ) , mice are able to coexist with other small rodent species . [ 23 ]
house mice also rely on pheromones for social communication , some of which are produced by the preputial glands of both sexes . the tear fluid and urine of male mice also contains pheromones , such as major urinary proteins . [ 34 ] [ 35 ] mice detect pheromones mainly with the vomeronasal organ ( jacobson ' s organ ) , located at the bottom of the nose .
the urine of house mice , especially that of males , has a characteristic strong odor . at least 10 different compounds , such as alkanes , alcohols , etc . , are detectable in the urine . among them , five compounds are specific to males , namely 3 - cyclohexene - 1 - methanol , aminotriazole ( 3 - amino - s - triazole ) , 4 - ethyl phenol , 3 - ethyl - 2 , 7 - dimethyl octane and 1 - iodoundecane . [ 36 ]
odours from adult males or from pregnant or lactating females can speed up or retard sexual maturation in juvenile females and synchronise reproductive cycles in mature females ( i . e . the whitten effect ) . odours of unfamiliar male mice may terminate pregnancies , i . e . the bruce effect .
mice can sense surfaces and air movements with their whiskers which are also used during thigmotaxis . if mice are blind from birth , super - normal growth of the vibrissae occurs presumably as a compensatory response , [ 37 ] or if the vibrissae are absent , the use of vision is intensified . [ 38 ]
female house mice have an estrous cycle about four to six days long , with estrus itself lasting less than a day . if several females are held together under crowded conditions , they will often not have an estrus at all . if they are then exposed to male urine , they will come into estrus after 72 hours .
range . the calls are most frequent during courtship when the male is sniffing and following the female ; however , the calls continue after mating has begun , at which time the calls are coincident with mounting behaviour . males can be induced to emit these calls by female pheromones . the vocalizations appear to differ between individuals and have been compared to
while females have the capability to produce ultrasonic calls , they typically do not do so during mating behaviour .
the pups are born blind and without fur or ears . the ears are fully developed by the fourth day , fur begins to appear at about six days and the eyes open around 13 days after birth ; the pups are weaned at around 21 days . females reach sexual maturity at about six weeks of age and males at about eight weeks , but both can copulate as early as five weeks . if the infants live in high temperatured area from birth , they will become less - haired . [ 41 ]
although house mice can be either monogamous or polygamous , they are most commonly polygamous . they generally show characteristics of mate - defense polygyny in that males are highly territorial and protective of their mates , while females are less agonistic . [ 42 ] the communal nursing groups that result from these behaviors lead to lower numbers of infanticide since more females are able to protect greater numbers of offspring . [ 43 ]
the polygamous behavior of female house mice promotes sperm competition , which affects both male and female evolutionary fitness . [ 45 ] females who mate with multiple males tend to produce both pups in greater numbers , [ 45 ] and with higher survival rates , [ 46 ] increasing female fitness . sperm competition that arises from polygamy favors males with faster , more motile sperm in higher numbers , increasing male fitness . [ 45 ] the competitive aspect of insemination increases the frequency of polyandrous events and fertilizations . polyandry has evolved to increase reproductive success . [ 47 ] male mating behavior is also affected in response to the practice of polygamous behavior . compared to monogamous house mice , polygamous house mice mate for longer periods of time . [ 48 ] this behaviour allows for an increase in both the transfer of sperm and paternity success , which in turn increases male fitness . [ 48 ]
as opposed to polygamy , polyandrous behavior in females is the act of breeding with several males in the same season . [ 49 ] variation in number of males that females mate with occurs among a population . polyandrous behavior is a common mating pattern in species of mus musculus musculus as well as the relative mus musculus domesticus . [ 49 ]
polyandry occurs in 30 % of all wild populations of house mice . [ 50 ] litters from multiple sires tend to be more genetically diverse than litters of single sires . [ 49 ] multiple paternity is also more common in larger populations than smaller populations , because there is a larger number of mates and more diverse mates to choose from . [ 50 ] within a population , males and females show different levels of multiple mating . females show bias toward unrelated males rather than related males during sexual selection , resulting in more genetically diverse offspring and a reduction of inbreeding depression . [ 51 ] inbreeding depression increases genetic incompatibilities , levels of homozygosity , and the chance of deleterious recessive alleles . [ 51 ] polyandry has been shown to increase offspring survival compared to monandry .
the fitness of females increases in polyandrous lines due to more genetic diversity and greater litter size . [ 45 ]
due to polyandry , males can be confused by the identity of new offspring . [ 52 ] multiple mating by females and paternity confusion can decrease rates of infanticide . [ 52 ] if the males are uncertain if the offspring are theirs , they are less likely to kill the offspring . [ 52 ]
house mice usually live in proximity to humans , in or around houses or fields . originally native to asia ( probably northern india ) , [ 57 ] they spread to the mediterranean basin about 8000 bc , only spreading into the rest of europe around 1000 bc . [ 58 ] this time lag is thought to be because the mice require agrarian human settlements above a certain size . [ 58 ] they have since been spread to all parts of the globe by humans .
lymphocytic choriomeningitis ( lcmv ) can be transmitted by mice , but is not a commonly reported infection in humans , though most infections are mild and are often never diagnosed . [ 63 ] [ 64 ] [ 65 ] some concern exists that women should not to be infected with lcmv during pregnancy . [ 66 ] [ 67 ]
house mice are not usually a vector of human plague ( bubonic plague ) because they have less infestations with fleas than do rats , and because the fleas which house mice normally carry exhibit little tendency to bite humans rather than their natural host . [ 68 ]
leptospirosis is carried by a variety of wild and domestic animals including dogs , rats , swine , cattle , mice in general , and can be transmitted by the urine of an infected animal and is contagious as long as the urine is still moist . [ 70 ]
according to recent research on the hygiene hypothesis , children who are exposed at a young age to specific allergens , feces , dander , and bacteria from ( among others ) cockroaches , mice , and cats are less likely to develop asthma and allergies later in life . [ 71 ]
mice have become an invasive species on islands to where they have spread during the period of european exploration and colonisation .
gough island in the south atlantic is used by 20 species of seabirds for breeding , including almost all of the world ' s tristan albatross ( diomedea dabbenena ) and atlantic petrel ( pterodroma incerta ) . until house mice arrived on the island in the 19th century with sailors , the birds did not have any mammalian predators . the mice have since grown unusually large and have learned to attack albatross chicks , which can be nearly 1 m tall , but are largely immobile , by working in groups and gnawing on them until they bleed to death . [ 73 ]
in the grain belt of south - eastern australia , the introduced species mus domesticus breed so successfully , every three years or so they reach plague proportions , achieving densities of 1000 per hectare and causing massive disruption to communities , and losses to agriculture of a $ 36 million annually . [ 74 ]
musser g , amori g , hutterer r , kryštufek b , yigit n & mitsain g ( 2008 ) . mus musculus . in : iucn 2008 . iucn red list of threatened species . retrieved 10 october 2008 .
hotchkiss , a . k . ; vandenbergh , j . g . ( 2005 ) .
the anogenital distance index of mice ( mus musculus domesticus ) : an analysis
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mayer , julie ann ; foley , john ; de la cruz , damon ; chuong , cheng - ming ; widelitz , randall ( 2008 ) .
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buck , c . w . ; tolman , n . ; tolman , w . ( november 1925 ) .
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le bars , d ; gozariu , m ; cadden , s . w . ( 2001 ) .
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terszowski , g . ; müller , susanna m . ; bleul , conrad c . ; blum , carmen ; schirmbeck , reinhold ; reimann , jörg ; du pasquier , louis ; amagai , takashi ; boehm , thomas ; rodewald , hans - reimer ( 2006 ) .
evidence for a functional second thymus in mice
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mitchell - jones , a j ; amori , g ; bogdanowicz , w ; kryštufek , b ; reijnders , p j h ; spitzenberger , f ; stubbe , m ; thissen , j b m ; vohralík , v ; zima , j ( 1999 ) .


the european pine marten ( martes martes ) , known most commonly as the pine marten in anglophone europe , and less commonly also known as pineten , baum marten , or sweet marten , is an animal native to northern europe belonging to the mustelid family , which also includes mink , otter , badger , wolverine and weasel .

european pine marten

куница лесная . поведение молодых . european pine marten . the behavior of the young .
ecological network resistance map ( en ) and lcp analysis between european pine marten individuals in the study area .
the response of european pine marten ( martes martes l . ) feeding to the changes of small mammal abundance
the response of european pine marten ( martes martes l . ) feeding to the changes of small mammal abundance .
results of causal modeling of landscape resistance on genetic distance in european pine marten according to mantel and partial mantel tests .
t1 - the response of european pine marten ( martes martes l . ) feeding to the changes of small mammal abundance
european environment agency ( 2005 ) european environment : state and outlook 2005 . state of environment report no . 1 / 2005
the response of european pine marten ( martes martes l . ) feeding to the changes of small mammal abundance — universidad andrés bello
the pine marten’s name comes from where it lives : mainly coniferous forests such as pine forests .
title =
the response of european pine marten ( martes martes l . ) feeding to the changes of small mammal abundance
,
results of causal modeling of landscape resistance on genetic distance in european pine marten according to mantel and partial mantel tests for the untransformed distances .
this species is also known as the pineten , sweet marten or baum marten .
temple hj , terry a ( 2009 ) the status and distribution of european mammals . office for official publications of the european communities , luxembourg
this is the best picture 😉 and my first picture and time i saw european pine marten ! in love ! but… pine marten is a predator ! the diet includes small mammals , carrion , birds , insects , and fruits .
the vwt has been studying the pine marten for more than 30 years and has published , or has contributed to , a number of research papers on the pine marten . this work has included investigating the distribution and status of the pine marten in england and wales , documenting pine marten range expansion in scotland and developing and trialing field techniques for monitoring pine martens .
european pine marten is a rare animal in western europe while in latvia it is common . harsh winters when there are many fallen animals is celebration for this small animal .
the winter coat of the european pine marten has always been much in demand . the species has been successfully kept on fur farms . life history characteristics , however , prevent trade of pine marten fur from being feasible on a large commercial scale ( grzimek 1990 ) .
of the mustelids , the pine marten is the only one with semi - retractable claws .
manzo e , bartolommei p , rowcliffe j , cozzolino r ( 2012 ) estimation of population density of european pine marten in central italy using camera trapping . acta theriol 57 : 165–172
european pine martens may live for up to 18 years in captivity but more often live for 8 - 10 years in the wild .
mergey m , larroque j , ruette s , vandel j - m , helder r , et al . ( 2012 ) linking habitat characteristics with genetic diversity of the european pine marten (
the raw microsatellite data and geographic coordinates of the 101 pine marten individuals are included in table s2 .
o’mahony d , o’reilly c , turner p ( 2006 ) national pine marten survey of ireland 2005 .
in ireland , pine marten were once widely distributed throughout every county . current pine marten distribution is largely concentrated in western counties and the midlands of ireland . the species now occurs in approximately 50 % of its historical range . pine marten remain extinct throughout the majority of munster and are very rare in ulster .
) in europe : a call for a co - ordinated european approach . biol conserv 141 : 2564–2575
population in bialowieza forest ( e poland ) compared with other european woodlands . ecography 29 : 31–43 .
schroepfer , r . , p . wiegand , h . hogrefe . 1997 . the implications of territoriality for the social system of the european pine marten , / martes martes ( l . , 1758 ) . .
it is thought there could be a link between the pine marten population and the numbers of reds and greys .
teerink bj ( 1991 ) hair of west - european mammals , 1st edn . cambridge university press , cambridge
) : preliminary distribution survey on the northern iberian peninsula . european journal of wildlife research 54 : 253–261 .
pereboom v , mergey m , villerette n , helder r , gerard jf , et al . ( 2008 ) movement patterns , habitat selection , and corridor use of a typical woodland - dweller species , the european pine marten (
the first confirmed sighting of a wild pine marten in england for over a century has been recorded in a shropshire woodland .
we laid bait to get the foxes to show up , however we got a rare visit of a pine marten instead .
the pine marten is listed as a protected species in appendix iii of the 1979 bern convention on the conservation of european wildlife and natural habitats . it is also included in annex v of the european community ' s habitat and species directive of 1992 , as a species ' of community interest whose taking in the wild and exploitation may be subject to management measures ' .
pine marten occur throughout mainland europe , stretching from the ural mountains in the east to ireland at the western edge of the species global distribution . they can also be found in parts of the middle east . in europe , pine marten exist with a similar species called the beech or stone marten , although that species tends to be more associated with areas of human habitation . also , in the eastern parts of pine marten distribution ( mainly russia ) there is some overlap with a related marten species known as the sable .
sample locations and microsatellite data . complete genetic profiles ( 15 microsatellite loci ) and the geographic coordinates for the 101 pine marten individuals
jordan nr ( 2011 ) a strategy for restoring the pine marten to england and wales . report published by the vincent wildlife trust
oh ! that was a surprise ! something in the apple tree . . jumping… from one to another… squirrel ! but wait ! it is not a squirrel ! what is it ! ? it is a european pine marten i guess ! can’t see !
) : assessing species and individual identification success rates on faecal dna genotyping . european journal of wildlife research 59 : 371–386 .
the pine marten ( martes martes ) is likely to have arrived in britain and ireland soon after the end of the last glaciation .
european pine marten has very wide food range . in summer they usually feed on different insects , amphibians , small insectivores , mouse - like rodents , birds , berries and fruits . when there is a bad year for mouse - like rodents pine marten mostly feed on squirrels and birds . it really likes honey that pine marten seeks not only in bumblebee nest but also in bee - gardens . in winter mostly it live by carrion . pine marten can eat about 100g meat at once . it has to eat as much as 1 / 5 of its own weight a day to survive , so it has to run around quite much to make that happen .
in terms of diet , pine marten are omnivorous taking both plant and animal material . in ireland , pine marten exploit a variety of resources including berries , fruits , small mammals , invertebrates , birds and amphibians . in some areas where pine marten occur close to towns and villages the species will exploit rubbish bins for food . in other countries , pine martens rely heavily on microtine rodents such as voles and also in colder countries on carrion , especially in winter . when foraging , pine marten will usually stay within their own territory , which will have a variety of food resources available within it .
the research leading to these results received funding from the european community ' s seventh framework programme ( fp7 / 2007 - 2013 ) under the project “european management platform for emerging and re - emerging infectious disease entities” ( emperie ) ec grant agreement number 223498 .
european pine martens are preyed upon by red foxes and golden eagles . humans persecute this species as a result of habitat loss , predator control intended for other species and farming for their fur .
pine martens and their dens are afforded full protection under the wildlife and countryside act , 1981 and the environmental protection act , 1990 ( 7 ) . conservation management in areas where the pine marten persists may help the species . potential measures include planting corridors of trees between patches of suitable habitat , and providing cover for shelter ( 2 ) . in 2014 , the vincent wildlife trust ( vwt ) launched its pine marten recovery project which saw the translocation of pine martens from scotland to restore a healthy pine marten population in the rural landscape of wales . the first step was completed in autumn 2015 , with the translocation of 20 pine martens , and the first welsh - born pine marten kits arrived in early summer 2016 ( 9 ) .
o’mahony d , o’reilly c , turner p ( 2006 ) national pine marten survey of ireland 2005 . coford connects . environment 7 : 1–8
birks j , crooks j , noble m ( 2005 ) a 2003 pine marten record for hampshire . newsl hamps mamm group 6 : 9
bright pw , smithson tj ( 1997 ) species recovery programme for the pine marten in england : 1995–96 . english nature research reports volume 240
there are eight marten species in the world altogether , and these include the beech marten , which occurs in europe and asia , and the american marten and the fisher , both of which are found throughout northern parts of north america .
one of britain’s rarest and most elusive animals has been found in wales , after a hunt lasting more than 40 years – the pine marten .
this species prefers well - wooded areas . the pine marten often makes its den in hollow trees or on scrub covered cliffs ( 2 ) .
the health and weight of grey squirrels in the pine marten zone is “extremely poor , ” while squirrels in an area without martens “are thriving” .
to obtain insight regarding the prevalence of anelloviruses in pine martens , a degenerate universal anellovirus pcr targeting the untranslated region of the anellovirus genome was performed on pine marten rectal swabs by the method of ninomiya and coworkers ( 27 ) . all four pine martens were positive for anelloviruses , indicating that anelloviruses are prevalent among pine martens . pcr fragments from pine marten swabs vs4700001 to vs4700003 were cloned , and eight clones were sequenced per sample . two different anellovirus variants were observed in rectal swab vs4700001 , and the pcr fragments of the nontranslated region of pine marten anelloviruses from rectal swabs vs4700001 to vs4700004 showed ∼48 to 100 % similarity to each other , suggesting that pine martens are infected with different anellovirus variants .
jongman rhg ( 2002 ) homogenisation and fragmentation of the european landscape : ecological consequences and solutions . landscape and urban planning 58 : 211–221 .
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european pine martens inhabit a large area across most of mainland europe and into the west of asia including russia . in the united kingdom they are mostly restricted to scotland with some small populations present in england .
clevenger , a . 1993 . pine marten ( / martes martes / ) home ranges and activity patterns on the island of minorca , spain . .
pine marten survey suggests recovery one of scotland ' s rarest carnivores is showing signs of recovery after years of declining populations , a new report suggests .
the pine marten , a cat - sized carnivore related to the stoat , was believed to be confined mostly to forests in the west of northern ireland .
sheehy , emma and colin lawton . “population crash in an invasive species following the recovery of a native predator : the case of the american grey squirrel and the european pine marten in ireland” . biodiversity and conservation 23 . 3 ( 2014 ) : 753 - 774 . web . 5 sept . 2016 .
the pine marten , once common in the uk , is a natural predator of the grey squirrel and has successfully reduced their numbers in ireland . photograph : alamy
families were identified , as was a circovirus - like virus that potentially constitutes a new virus family . pine martens and european badgers do not seem to harbor as many different mammalian viruses as california sea lions and bats do (
trees for life , 2004 .
species profile : pine marten
( on - line ) . trees for life . accessed may 05 , 2004 at urltoken .
the following habitats are found across the pine marten distribution range . find out more about these environments , what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them .
threats to the pine marten include unsustainable hunting and trapping , incidental poisoning , and the loss and fragmentation of woodland habitats . the marten is still hunted and trapped for its fur in some parts of its range . its decline in britain was due to persecution , and the species is still subject to persecution even in some countries in which it is protected . efforts to control other carnivore species sometimes result in pine marten deaths .
jongman r , bouwma i , van doorn a ( 2006 ) indicative map of the pan–european ecological network in western europe . wageningen : alterra . 104 p .
major threats to the pine marten include unsustainable hunting and trapping , incidental poisoning , and the loss and fragmentation of woodland habitats . the marten is still hunted and trapped for its fur in some parts of its range . its decline in britain was due to persecution , and the species is still subject to persecution even in some countries in which it is protected . efforts to control other carnivore species sometimes result in pine marten deaths .
caryl fm , raynor r , quine cp , park kj ( 2012 ) the seasonal diet of british pine marten determined from genetically identified scats . j zool 288 : 252–259
balestrieri a , remonti l , ruiz - gonzalez a , gomez - moliner bj , vergara m , et al . ( 2010 ) range expansion of the pine marten (
brainerd sm ( 1990 ) the pine marten and forest fragmentation : a review and synthesis . in : transactions of the 19th iugb congress , trondheim , norway , pp 421–434
though the mechanism behind any causation has not been proven , there is a powerful correlation between areas of pine marten recolonization , grey squirrel population crashes and red squirrel resurgence .
the main objective of this research is to evaluate a large suite of alternative resistance hypotheses for the pine marten and compare the most supported empirical model with the expert - derived landscape resistance model used to parameterize the corridor network for the basque country . specifically , we aim to evaluate ( 1 ) different binary landscape resistance maps which cover a gradient from greater to lesser preference of the pine marten for forest environments in order to identify which land uses favour or impede genetic interchange in the study area ; and secondly ( 2 ) whether or not the resistance map with which the regional ecological network was originally designed in the basque country was correctly parametrized to reflect european pine marten gene flow .
found throughout most of central and northern europe ( 4 ) . in the uk , the pine marten is restricted to the scottish highlands and grampian , and a few populations occur in southern scotland . the pine marten is extinct throughout most of england and wales ( 2 ) with a few scattered records in the north and in wales ( 5 ) .
storch i , lindstrom e , dejounge j ( 1990 ) diet and habitat selection of the pine marten in relation to competition with the red fox . acta theriol 35 : 311–320
in 2011 , the trust developed a long - term pine marten conservation strategy in collaboration with other statutory and voluntary conservation bodies . what is clear from our extensive studies carried out over several decades is that numbers of this elusive mammal in england and wales are so low that without intervention the pine marten is likely to go extinct in england and wales .
bright p , halliwell e , mitchell - jones t ( 2000 ) return of the pine marten to england : proposed recovery programme for one of britain’s rarest mammals . public consultation
shaw g , livingstone j ( 1992 ) the pine marten : its reintroduction and subsequent history in the galloway forest park . trans dumfries galloway nat his antiq soc 67 : 1–7
the body and tail are covered in dark brown fur , which is short and coarse in summer , but thicker and more silky in winter . the large cream - coloured throat patch or ' bib ' distinguishes the pine marten from the beech marten , which has a white throat patch . the fur on the pine marten ' s paws is darker brown in colour , and the pads on the undersides of its feet are covered with fur in winter .
citation : ruiz - gonzález a , gurrutxaga m , cushman sa , madeira mj , randi e , gómez - moliner bj ( 2014 ) landscape genetics for the empirical assessment of resistance surfaces : the european pine marten ( martes martes ) as a target - species of a regional ecological network . plos one 9 ( 10 ) : e110552 . urltoken
even though no previous individual - based landscape genetics data was available for the pine marten , mergey et al . [ 58 ] found that genetic diversity is not associated with habitat fragmentation metrics in france , in spite of the existence of a high degree of forest fragmentation in the studied marten populations . however , this result does not demonstrate that the pine marten gene flow is not affected by forest fragmentation processes . thus , a more detailed individual - based landscape genetics analysis ( larroque et al . unpublished data ) , could provide better insights into the landscape processes governing gene flow and an interesting comparative framework with spanish pine marten populations .
the vwt has identified areas in england that have suitable habitat for pine martens .
and there it was ! i run to get my camera , stepped in janis big snow boots and grabbed a coat . run outside and started to look for the pine marten .
phylogenetic analysis of pine marten torque teno virus . ( a ) genome organization of the pine marten torque teno virus . the black boxes represent orf1 to orf3 . the location of the tata box is indicated . nt , nucleotide . ( b ) a phylogenetic tree of the amino acid sequences of anellovirus orf1 was generated by using mega4 , the neighbor - joining method with
in the last 20 years , the trust has received more than 300 credible reports of sightings of pine martens in wales and has built up a map of ‘hot spot’ areas . it has organised numerous hunts for pine marten scats ( droppings ) using teams of volunteers , deployed remote cameras and set up baited hair tubes , yet until now the most recent unequivocal evidence was a pine marten scat found in cwm rheidol forest in 2007 and later positively dna tested .
potential threats to pine marten include unsustainable hunting and trapping , incidental poisoning , and the loss and fragmentation of woodland habitats . this marten is hunted and trapped for its fur in some parts of its range . its decline in britain was because of persecution as a predator of livestock and , particularly , of game , and the species is still subject to persecution even in some countries in which it is protected . efforts to control other carnivore species sometimes result in pine marten deaths .
pine martens are omnivorous . they mainly eat rodents , birds , fruit and insects .
the european pine marten is covered with a coat of dark brown fur . this is thick over winter and thins out over the summer . over winter the pads of their feet will also be covered in fur . the tail is long and bushy . under the throat is a “bib” of white to creamy orange fur . on the belly the fur has a greyish tint .
the pine marten can be found in a number of locations including : asia , europe , russia , united kingdom , wales . find out more about these places and what else lives there .
) . the ictv criteria for classification of bocaviruses establishes that members of each species are probably antigenically distinct , that natural infection is confined to a single host species , and that species are defined as < 95 % homologous in nonstructural ( ns ) gene dna sequence . although the antigenic properties of the pine marten bocavirus were not studied , the identification in a new natural host in combination with a genetic diversity of pine marten bocavirus vp2 compared to other bocavirus vp2 proteins of ∼48 to 69 % on the amino acid level suggests that the pine marten bocavirus is a new bocavirus species .
status listed as a protected species in appendix iii of the 1979 bern convention on the conservation of european wildlife and natural habitats . also included in annex v of the european community’s habitat and species directive of 1992 , as a species “of community interest whose taking in the wild and exploitation may be subject to management measures” . also listed as a uk bap priority species .
recent abundance estimates suggest that the total population of pine marten in ireland is approximately 2 , 700 individuals , making it ireland’s rarest native mammal species . there are number of factors that can impact on pine marten populations including land use planning , forest management practices such as harvesting , habitat fragmentation , inbreeding , illegal persecution either through generic poisoning or deliberate killing and destruction of forest / scrub habitat for development . pine marten are susceptible to habitat loss and human persecution in ireland , and due to their low population size and slow breeding performance should be seen as vulnerable for the foreseeable future .
phylogenetic trees of the complete amino acid sequences of the rep ( a ) and capsid ( b ) of the two circular identified viruses from european badger , mmfv ( genbank accession no .
a tree - climbing relative of the otter and the stoat , the pine marten had become extinct throughout much of britain by the early 20th century , although numbers of the animal survived in scotland .
sheehy e , o’meara d , o’reilly c , smart a , lawton c ( 2013 ) a non - invasive approach to determining pine marten abundance and predation . eur j wildl res . doi :
i stood quietly at the window and looked at the “pine marten” . that was all i can do , had all my girls at home and it was snowy and cold outside . if i move to take a camera and run outside it certainly will be gone… it was quick ! i enjoyed the view mother nature gave to us . but i looked through windows for pine marten all the time !
the pine marten has few natural enemies itself , apart from humanity . it is occasionally preyed upon by the golden eagle ( aquila chrysaetos ) , and the red fox ( vulpes vulpes ) may kill a marten , not only to eat it , but also to eliminate a potential competitor for the same food resources .
zalewski , a . , w . jedrzejewski , b . jedrzejewska . 1995 . pine marten home ranges , numbers and predation on vertebrates in a deciduous forest ( bialowieza national park , poland ) . .
out of 262 faecal samples identified as pine marten , 108 were not included to the microsatellite genotyping procedure . these samples correspond to the sampling period from 2004–2005 , which was used for a first distribution assessment of sympatric martens in the study area and were not potentially fresh enough for microsatellite analysis . thus , 213 pine marten samples ( 154 faecal samples and 59 tissue samples ) were used for microsatellite genotyping .
pine martens are nocturnal , house cat - sized members of the stoat and weasel family .
infra - red cameras capture the first visit of a family of pine martens on film .
the elusive , generally nocturnal pine marten ( martes martes ) ( 3 ) has chestnut - brown to dark brown fur with a creamy - yellow bib . the tail is long and fluffy ( 2 ) .
kurki s , nikula a , helle p , linden h ( 1998 ) abundances of red fox and pine marten in relation to the composition of boreal forest landscapes . journal of animal ecology 67 : 874–886 .
in a testament to how scarce and how extremely elusive they are , a forty year man - hunt went by in wales without one sighting of a pine marten . the evidence before and after was roadkill .
an average european pine marten measures between 45 and 58cm ( 17 to 22in ) with the tail adding between 16 and 28cm ( 6 . 3 and 11cm ) to their length . due to a large geographical range they can vary greatly in size . males are often 10 - 30 % larger than females . they weigh between 0 . 9 and 2kg ( 2 - 4 . 5lbs ) on average .
since then , its range in scotland has increased due to the expansion of commercial forestry plantations , and more recently , the regeneration of native woodlands . the pine marten prefers well - wooded areas with plenty of cover , but it lives in more open habitats as well . there is a captive breeding programme underway in kent , and suggestions have been made for the pine marten to be reintroduced to parts of southern england .
in 2014 , the vwt in consultation with and support from various conservation bodies launched its pine marten recovery project . the aim of the project is to restore self - sustaining populations of pine martens to england and wales . the first step was completed in autumn 2015 , with the translocation of 20 pine martens from scotland to mid - wales and further translocations of 19 pine martens took place in autumn 2016 . you can find out more about this ground - breaking project on the dedicated project website .
dr declan o’mahony is a wildlife ecologist and has been conducting research on mammals for over 12 years . he has been working with pine marten in ireland for the last seven years conducting basic and applied research on this important species . his interest in pine marten was influenced by the general lack of knowledge and data on the species’ ecology and conservation status in ireland , despite its protected status . currently , he is most interested in undertaking further research on pine marten ecology and developing conservation management strategies for the species with key stakeholders ( i . e . forest companies ) that minimise any impacts of forest management . some references are included below .
strachan r , jefferies dj , chanin prf ( 1996 ) strachan , r , jefferies , dj , chanin prf ( 1996 ) pine marten survey of england and wales 1987–1988 . jncc , peterborough . jncc , peterborough
de marinis am , messeti m ( 1995 ) feeding habits of the pine marten martes martes in europe : a review . hystrix 7 : 143–150 martens are generalist feeders , varying diet according to what is available .
though they have least concern conservation status in europe , pine martens went through some dark times in ireland and the uk . the fur trade that once drove russian commerce and fueled european exploration across the top of northern america had a strong lust for pine marten . the value of their hides was such that the exports came to be known as soft gold . by the early 1900’s , a combination of deforestation , predator persecution and direct hunting for furs drove populations of ireland and the uk to dangerous all - time lows .
messenger j , croose e , turner p , o’reilly c ( 2010 ) the vincent wildlife trust and waterford institute of technology pine marten scat dna survey of england and wales 2008–2009 . report published by the vincent wildlife trust
consequently , the pine marten is a species which is well suited to studies focused on the effects of forest fragmentation on genetic structure and gene flow [ 56 ] . however , whether habitat characteristics that predict marten occupancy act as barriers to dispersal , influencing gene flow and population genetic structure across the landscape , is largely unknown [ 56 ] .
the discovery of a new anellovirus and bocavirus from pine marten rectal swabs and a circovirus - like virus from european badgers is an example of the needed expansion of our knowledge of the virus diversity present in the animal reservoir . in addition , a new potential mycovirus was identified from a european badger rectal swab . sequence - independent amplification of viral nucleic acid in combination with a next - generation sequencing platform , which we used to discover these viruses , provides a relatively simple , unselective technology to identify new viral species , as was observed previously with similar techniques ( 8 , 11 , 21 – 23 , 35 , 36 , 39 ) .
birks jds , messenger j ( 2000 ) a response from the vincent wildlife trust to ‘return of the pine marten to england’ ( public consultation by the people’s trust for endangered species ) . unpublished report , the vincent wildlife trust
mortelliti a , amori g , capizzi d , rondinini c , boitani l ( 2010 ) experimental design and taxonomic scope of fragmentation studies of european mammals : current status and future priorities . mamm rev 40 : 125–154
the pine marten was once the second most common carnivore in britain during the mesolithic era . the clearance of woodlands , together with predator control , had a devastating effect on the pine marten population and by 1915 this species was confined to just a few of the more remote areas across britain and ireland . small populations survived in wales and the marches and in areas of northern england , with relatively strong populations still present in parts of the scottish highlands .
o’ mahony , d . ( 2009 ) socio - spatial ecology and habitat selection of pine marten ( martes martes ) in upland coniferous plantations , ireland . report to department of agriculture fisheries food and peoples trust for endangered species .
now , however , a carcass of a pine marten which had been killed by a vehicle has been found on the roadside near newtown in powys , and dna analysis has confirmed that the young male was a native british animal .
pertoldi c , munoz j , madsen ab , barker jsf , andersen dh , baagøe hj , birch m , loeschcke v ( 2008b ) genetic variability in the mitochondrial dna of the danish pine marten . j zool 276 : 168–175
domingo - roura x ( 2002 ) genetic distinction of marten species by fixation of a microsatellite region . j mammal 83 : 907–912
we have no proof that a pine marten has never killed a lamb . that would mean witnessing the entire life of every lamb ever born , to validate that its death could not be attributed to the mustelid . however , we also have absolutely no proof that pine martens do kill lambs , and plenty of reason to believe that they don’t .
a thorough understanding of the diversity of viruses in wildlife provides epidemiological baseline information about potential pathogens . metagenomic analysis of the enteric viral flora revealed a new anellovirus and bocavirus species in pine martens and a new circovirus - like virus and geminivirus - related dna virus in european badgers . in addition , sequences with homology to viruses from the families
only strongholds in the wild irish west , scottish highlands and tiny pockets of wales remained ; the marten was locally extinct in england .
the pine marten is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 8 ) , and is listed on schedule 5 of the wildlife and countryside act , 1981 and schedule 3 of the conservation regulations 1994 ( 1 ) .
the pine marten is an adept tree climber , with many adaptations including bone and muscle structure for powerful forelimbs , long tail to aid in balancing , and well - developed claws ( grzimek 1990 , corbet and southern 1977 , nowak 1999 ) .
“we are seeing species that have never been seen before in ireland being introduced by these people . look at the pine marten , the most nasty vicious bird that you have ever seen . they were never in ireland but have been introduced . ”
clevenger , a . 1994 . habitat characteristics of eurasian pine martens martes martes in an insular mediterranean environment . .
according to iucn , pine marten is common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available . according to the british wildlife center resource , the total population size of the pine marten in britain in pre - breeding season is estimated to be 3 , 300 individuals . this includes only 120 martens in england , 60 martens in wales and rest in scotland . according to the iucn red list , the average annual spring number of pine martens in russia was 187 , 000 individuals in 2011 - 2013 . currently this species is classified as least concern ( lc ) and its numbers today remain stable .
scientists usually survey for pine marten by looking for their faeces ( or scats as they are known ) along forest tracks and roads and due to confusion with fox and stoat faeces , genetic testing is required to confirm the source ,
he said .
mitchell - jones aj , amori g , bogdanowicz w , krystufek b , reijnders pjh , spitzenberger f , stubbe m , thissen jbm , vohralik v , zima j ( 1999 ) the atlas of european mammals . academic press , london , united kingdom
mitchell - jones a , amori g , bogdanowicz w , krystufek b , reijnders pjh , spitzenberger f , stubbe m , thissen jbm , vohralik v , zima j ( 1999 ) the atlas of european mammals . academic press inc . , san diego
b ) . our data therefore suggest that the torque teno virus species identified in pine martens belongs to a new genus .
“like most predators , [ pine martens ] turnout to be essential to the survival of a healthy living systems” –george monbiot .
pine marten can utilise a variety of den sites , which are used for breeding . den sites can include rock crevices , tree cavities , subterranean burrows , buildings ( abandoned or occupied ) , old bird nests , squirrel dreys and log piles . these sites provide cover from weather extremes and safety from potential predators . den sites are normally only occupied during the breeding season . outside of this period , pine marten use what are termed refuge sites . refuge sites can be very varied although normally they are located several metres off the ground in forest canopy . upturned or blown over tress are often used as refuge sites but the species can exploit any habitat feature that provides cover and safety . pine marten will tend to have refuge and den sites that are used repeatedly in a forest and they can have a high fidelity to these sites .
“grey squirrel sightings accounted for less than 8 % of animal sightings in [ the irish midlands ] , which is remarkably low considering that they are a much less elusive species than either the red squirrel or the pine marten , and are also more commonly associated with human settlements . ”
pine martens are found all over europe , from western russia to italy . in the northern mainland they co - exist with stone martens , and towards eastern europe , with the sable marten , which may start to sound familiar as you think about gloves and thick , expensive coats .
during autumn 2015 , twenty pine martens were captured in scotland , in areas where there is a healthy pine marten population , under licence from scottish natural heritage . these animals 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 and find out where they have set up territories . during autumn 2016 ,
so what’s going on ? well it now seems that the reason why grey squirrels never got past the shannon is not that they couldn’t cross the river . they can swim , and there are plenty of places in which they could move through the trees without getting their feet wet . it’s because the far side of the shannon was pine marten territory . and pine martens love grey squirrels – in the strictly carnal sense .
as a predator , the pine marten plays an important role in regulating the numbers of its prey species . in the case of voles and other rodents which undergo periodic population explosions , it responds to the cycle of greater numbers by increasing the proportion of these animals in its diet . however , because of its delayed breeding cycle , any resultant increase in marten numbers does not occur until the following year , when food supplies may not be so abundant .
out of 733 faecal samples collected from the entire study area , 141 were discarded because they were not fresh or because they presumably belong to the same individual ( samples separated by < 1km ) . 494 out of 592 analyzed samples were classified as martes sp . ( m . martes and m . foina ) based on genetic species identification results . thus , unequivocal species identification was possible in 83 . 45 % of the samples . we effectively identified 232 faecal samples as stone marten and 262 as pine marten . additionally , we obtained 57 tissue samples from road - killed pine martens .
it was driven to extinction in the 19 th century , mostly by gamekeepers , but it now clings on in small numbers , as a result of deliberate releases and escapes from falconers . it is still being illegally killed by gamekeepers . like the pine marten , the goshawk hunts grey squirrels .
ricanova s , bryja j , cosson jf , csongor g , choleva l , ambros m , sedlacek f ( 2011 ) depleted genetic variation of the european ground squirrel in central europe in both microsatellites and the major histocompatibility complex gene : implications for conservation . conserv genet 12 : 1115–1129
o’mahony , d . , turner , p , o’reilly , c . ( 2012 ) pine marten ( martes martes ) distribution and abundance in ireland : a cross - jurisdictional analysis using non - invasive genetic survey techniques . mammalian biology – zeitschrift für säugetierkunde , 77 ( 5 ) , 351 - 357
koen el , bowman j , garroway cj , mills sc , wilson pj ( 2012 ) landscape resistance and american marten gene flow . landscape ecology 27 : 29–43 .
least cost paths ( lcp ) obtained between the 101 pine marten individuals in accordance with the en resistance map , analogous to that used in the design of the corridors in the ecological network of the basque country ( north spain ) [ 41 ] . resistance values for each land use are indicated in brackets .
potential threats to the pine marten include unsustainable trapping and hunting , incidental poisoning , and the fragmentation and loss of woodland habitats . this species is trapped and hunted in some portions of its range for its fur . its decline in britain was due to persecution for predating on livestock and , particularly , game . it is still persecuted in some countries where it is protected . the efforts to control other carnivores sometimes cause the death of pine martens .
well suited to a life amongst the trees european pine martens mostly live in forests . they will also venture in to the grasslands adjacent to these areas . their territory is marked by depositing their feces around the perimeter . the size of their territory is decided by the amount of available food in these areas . they will make a den in hollow trees or fallen root masses most often with shrub covered cliffs also used on occasion .
but a survey by queen ' s university , belfast , and 70 volunteer conservationists has shown that pine martens are present in every county .
there is a healthy population of at least 4 , 000 pine martens in scotland , and small numbers live around snowdonia , in wales .
wind farms , coal mining , animal protein , donald trump , vegans , you name it . while some of these demons undoubtedly deserve their reputation , others are getting way too much abuse . in an effort to right some wrongs to a poor arboreal mustelid’s reputation , let’s shed some light on the pine marten .
the most consistent marten - habitat relation appears to be a general association with forest habitats , and avoidance of open , non - forested habitats [ 48 ] , [ 51 ] , [ 52 ] . thus , the marten ' s unwillingness to cross open habitats may restrict the species ' ability to disperse and colonise new forested areas [ 51 ] , [ 55 ] . ruiz - gonzález et al . [ 52 ] found that pine marten occurrence in the study area is highly dependent on the presence of forest and consequently sensitive to forest fragmentation as has been previously suggested in other studies across europe [ 49 ] , [ 51 ] . nevertheless , the presence of forest habitats is not the only factor which explains pine marten gene flow in the study area , indicating that the habitat selection and gene flow of pine martens may be driven by different factors [ 17 ] , [ 25 ] , [ 31 ] . this may be because gene flow is driven by mating and dispersal events and habitat selection reflects the behaviour of individual organisms to maximize fitness within home ranges ( e . g . [ 102 ] ) .
the pine marten is a medium - sized member of the mustelid family of carnivorous mammals , whose other members include the stoat , weasel and badger . it is about the size of a cat , with a body up to 53 cm . long and a bushy tail which can be 25 cm . in length . an individual will weigh between 1 . 3 and 1 . 7 kg . , with the female being slightly smaller than the male . in the wild , the pine marten can live up to 11 years , although the average lifespan is 3 - 4 years . in captivity ages up to 18 years have been recorded .
fascinating facts the soles of their feet are covered in thick fur , which probably helps them to move across snow - covered ground . in the wild , the pine marten can live up to 11 years , although the average lifespan is 3 - 4 years . in captivity ages up to 18 years have been recorded .
meanwhile , the game and wildlife conservation trust , which i see as a greenwashing agency for the shooting industry ( how many conservation groups do you know that teach children to use shot guns and run courses on snaring , lamping and trapping ? ) , is campaigning to reduce pine marten populations in scotland . yes , reduce .
the finding brings to a climax the organised hunt for pine martens in wales which has been carried out in recent decades by the vincent wildlife trust .
to obtain more pine marten bocavirus sequences , an additional ∼42 , 000 trimmed reads obtained via next - generation sequencing with a 454 gs junior instrument ( roche ) were analyzed from sample vs4700002 , and a few bocavirus reads were identified . specific primers vs656 ( 5′ - ttccaggaggatgtttcattgg - 3′ ) and vs657 ( 5′ - ttccaggaggatgtttcattgg - 3′ ) designed on the obtained 454 sequencing reads were used to obtain a 1 , 048 - bp pcr amplicon of the genome region encoding vp2 , using amplitaq gold dna polymerase ( roche ) , according to the instructions of the manufacturer . the obtained pine marten bocavirus vp2 protein sequence was aligned to the corresponding vp2 protein sequences of other bocaviruses in genbank using clustal x2 (
in summer , the diet is more varied , and includes bird eggs , honey , caterpillars and fruits such as blaeberries ( vaccinium myrtillus ) . in a good berry season , these latter can form 30 % of the marten ' s food and give a telltale blue colour to the animal ' s scat . some food is stored in the summer and autumn for retrieval in the winter . as a mainly nocturnal animal , the pine marten forages at night or dusk , and can roam more than 10 kilometres from its den in search of food .
hunting area in winters is larger than 10km2 , so if pine marten has had bad luck in hunt it has to run even 30km to have something to eat , so carrion is very important . when tummy is full pine marten goes to its lair to sleep . lair usually is made under tree roots , tree stumps in hollows or squirrel nests . however , if the weather is nice enough it can sleep in bigger bird nests , but when it is very cold it make a nest under snow . if there are many pine martens in the same territory they go hunting each by itself . to stay out of any conflicts , they leave scent marks . to mark their territory martens leave faeces , urine , rub their anal sacs against branches , ground or snow . when little animal is eating it shouldn’t lose alertness so time to time it stands up to look around .
the pine marten is omnivorous . it favors animal food , relying on small mammals for most of the year . the diet composition and proportion often change according to season and local conditions . populations respond to the unpredictable cycles of rodents , such as voles , by drastically increasing their consumption of these prey items ( zalewski et al 1995 ) . the reproductive characteristics of
two aspects of this story jump out at me . the first is the greys’ astonishing speed of retreat . the numbers just don’t add up : the martens simply couldn’t eat that many squirrels . as the paper points out , “it would be unlikely that a low - density pine marten population could impact a high - density grey squirrel population by direct predation alone . ”
phylogenetic trees of the partial amino acid sequences of the vp2 protein of the pine marten bocavirus and other selected bocaviruses . phylograms were generated using mega4 , with the neighbor - joining method with p - distance and 1 , 000 bootstrap replicates . significant bootstrap values are shown . the viruses and genbank accession numbers shown in the phylogenetic tree follow : hbov1 , human bocavirus 1 ( ab480186 ) ; hbov2 , human bocavirus 2 ( fj973558 ) ; hbov3 , human bocavirus 3 ( gq867667 ) ; hbov4 , human bocavirus 4 ( nc _ 012729 ) ; gbov1 , gorilla bocavirus 1 ( nc _ 014358 ) ; porcine bocavirus ( hm053693 ) ; canine minute virus ( fj899734 ) ; bovine parvovirus ( nc _ 001540 ) , pine marten bocavirus ( jq085286 ) .
in the uk , the pine marten is protected under the wildlife and countryside act of 1981 , and it cannot be trapped , disturbed or sold without a specific licence from the relevant government conservation agency - in scotland this is scottish natural heritage . however , despite this legal protection , martens are still killed inadvertently each year by traps or poisoned bait set out for crows or foxes .
cushman sa , raphael mg , ruggiero lf , shirk as , wasserman tn , et al . ( 2011 ) limiting factors and landscape connectivity : the american marten in the rocky mountains . landscape ecology 26 : 1137–1149 .
the pine marten has a palearctic distribution : its geographic range extends from western siberia across russia and europe to scotland and ireland , and from the northern limit of the boreal or coniferous forest in the north to the mediterranean and the caucasus region in the south . it is also found on many of the mediterranean islands , including sicily , corsica , sardinia and the balearic islands of majorca and minorca .