Behavior patterns of denning Pacific Martens (Martes caurina)

Abstract

Reproductive success has substantial implications for mammal populations yet evaluating female behavior during critical reproductive periods can be particularly difficult for cryptic species. North American martens (American Marten, Martes americana; Pacific Marten, M. caurina) are small-bodied, solitary, and wide-ranging carnivores of conservation concern, whose reproductive behaviors have largely been observed in captive populations. Our primary objective was to assess duration of den use and den attendance patterns of wild female Pacific Martens relative to stages of marten kit development. We tracked five individual female Pacific Martens over seven denning periods in 2016–2017 in the Lassen National Forest, California, using a combination of radio-telemetry and remotely triggered cameras. Pacific Martens used natal dens for significantly longer periods of time than maternal dens (19.6 ± 15.2 [standard deviation] d vs. 5.5 ± 7.5 d; t = ˗6.168, P < 0.001) and spent significantly less time away from the den during lactation than after the onset of weaning (2.8 ± 1.7 h/d vs. 5.5 ± 3.0 h/d; t = ˗3.544, P = 0.002). Following first detection (i.e., removal from the natal den), kits were semi-mobile at 60.6 ± 5.3 d, were mobile at 86.9 ± 4.4 d, and were independent at 153.6 ± 26.3 d, although we estimated that four kits (31%) died prior to independence. Female Pacific Marten behavior was consistent with a central-place foraging strategy and appears to be closely tied to kit developmental stage. Our results indicate that the 2–3 mo following parturition are a critical and sensitive period for both female Pacific Martens and their kits.

Citation

Delheimer, Matthew S.; Roddy, Alyssa M.; Moriarty, Katie M. 2021. Behavior patterns of denning Pacific Martens (Martes caurina). Western Wildlife. 8: 18–26.