European Pine Marten (Martes martes)

The European pine marten are largely confined to the north of the UK and are highly elusive due to their nocturnal nature. Cat-sized, mostly chestnut brown in colour with a pale yellow ‘bib’ on its chin and throat. With a preference for native woodland areas, they can also be found in coniferous woodland and rocky hillsides, making breeding nests between rocks, hollow trees or in bird or squirrel nests. Litters of 3-5 kits are born in the spring, becoming independent from their mother by summer. Pine martens are generalists, feeding on small rodents, birds, insects, and fruit, and may even feed from bird tables.

• A faecal (scat) sample with sufficient biological material to be used as a reserve is required in case the extraction is unsuccessful the first time: the fresher a sample is, the more likely the test will be able to extract viable DNA.
• Other viable sample types include fur/hair, tissue and blood.
• Samples can be taken using a biological sampling kit or using your own secure containers/resources.