NATURE TABLE: Pine Marten

Pine martens are native Irish carnivores, related to the stoat, otter and badger.

They are about the size of a domestic cat with a bushy tail and generally brown or russet fur with a creamy white throat patch. In the early part of the last century they came close to extinction due to human persecution and habitat loss.

Only small and isolated populations remained, mainly along the western sea-board. In the past 20 years there has been a remarkable increase in numbers and range, though they are still uncommon in Ulster and much of Munster.

Further study is needed to establish both the cause and the extent of this increase, which is unusual in a wild carnivore.

Even today the best estimates are that there are less than 3,000 pine martens in Ireland, which means they are still our rarest wild mammal. They are expert tree climbers and require woodland or scrub to survive. Like many Irish carnivores they supplement their diet with vegetable matter such as nuts or berries.