Wisconsin has just one animal on its listing of state endangered mammals, the American marten (Martes americana).
One among these artful tree dwellers has been noticed on Lake Superior’s Madeline Island, documented on movie for the primary time. It was captured on path digital camera footage as a part of the “Wild Madeline” challenge, performed by Northland Faculty.
The American marten is shy and troublesome to identify within the wild. They wish to reside alone, conceal in bushes, and are nocturnal. Martens thrive in dense forest habitats with plentiful pine bushes and shrubs, excellent for constructing dens and burrows.
Lake Superior’s islands have a posh forest ecosystem, which fits the American marten completely. Madeline Island is the biggest of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. Over time, a number of efforts have been made to re-introduce the marten to this atmosphere, and biologists are hopeful to search out extra proof of them on this a part of Wisconsin.
In Europe, sightings of a distant cousin, the pine marten, have been reported this week. This path digital camera footage exhibits pine martens exploring a forest in Shropshire, England. In Eire, the creature is called the cat crainn, or “the tree cat”.
The marten is a small mammal within the mustelid household, which additionally contains weasels and sea otters. These creatures bear an in depth resemblance to the pine marten, their European relative, however they don’t seem to be similar. Martens have tender fur, the shade of chestnut brown, with a fox-like face and pointy ears. They’re in regards to the measurement of a home cat and might transfer rapidly up and down bushes. Though they could look cute, they’re vicious predators with sharp claws, and eager hunters of small prey.
