The best known North American species is the American marten. It is fairly common in the Rocky Mountains and the Far North from Newfoundland and Quebec to Alaska. This marten has thick, golden-brown fur with darker feet and a paler face. It usually has an orange path on the throat and chest. It grows to 26 inches long, including its tail. Martens weigh 2 to 3 pounds. The males are slightly larger than the females. The American marten eats mice, rabbits, squirrels and birds. It lives in hollow trees and rock crevices. About nine months after mating, the female gives birth, usually to two or three young.
From November to March, when the American marten's coat is thick and soft, trappers in Canada and the United States kill about 50,000 to 130,000 animals. The fur is used in coats, hats, and muffs.
The fisher is related to the American marten. A male fisher weighs up to 20 pounds. It has dark brown or grayish-brown fur. Now rare, the fisher is found in nearly the same areas as the American marten. It lives on the ground or in trees. It eats mostly small rodents. It also feeds on porcupines and snowshoe hares. Well-known European martens include the beech marten, which has white fur on its throat and chest, and the pine marten, with yellowish fur on these parts.
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