Oregon State University
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers have painted a clearer picture of the coastal marten, a secretive, ferret-sized forest carnivore renowned for its cuteness but nearly driven to extinction by human activity in the 20th century.
Scientists from OSU’s Institute for Natural Resources led a three-month project that used non-invasive survey tools – hair snares and remote cameras – to collect marten population and habitat data in a 150-square-mile area east of the northern California town of Klamath in 2022.
Genetic analysis of the hair identified 46 different martens, 28 males and 18 females. Martens were found throughout the study area and were most numerous at high elevations along forested ridgetops with consistent winter snowpack, and at lower elevations in ravines and riparian areas in coastal forests…