Chapter 4: Fishers and American martens

Abstract

Fishers (Martes pennanti) and American martens (M. americana) are carnivorous mustelids associated with late-successional forests. The distributions of both species have decreased in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade region (Zielinski et al. 2005). Fishers occur primarily in lower elevation (3,500 to 7,000 ft) (1067 to 3134 m) Sierran mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine forests, while marten distribution overlaps that of fishers but extends to much higher elevation (4,500 to 10,000 ft) (1372 to 3048 m) red fir and lodgepole pine forests. Fishers and martens have disproportionately large home ranges for their body sizes. Home ranges for male and female fishers average 9,960 ac (4031 ha) and 2,456 ac (994 ha), respectively. Martens have home ranges that average 1,413 ac (572 ha) and 877 ac (355 ha) for males and females, respectively.

Parent Publication

• Managing Sierra Nevada forests

Citation

Purcell, K.L.; Thompson, C.M.; Zielinski, W.J. 2012. Chapter 4: Fishers and American martens. In: North, Malcolm, ed. 2012. Managing Sierra Nevada forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-237. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. pp. 47-60.