Beech Marten
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Mustelidae |
| Subfamily | Mustelinae |
| Genus | Martes |
| Species | Martes foina |
| Species synonyms | Mustela foiana |
| taxonomy: Smithsonian Institution |
The beech marten is a small omnivore with carnivore tendencies that can be found from Spain to Mongolia. You will find it mostly in rocky environments and therefore the animal is also often called stone marten. It can be found in forests but also on mountain slopes at an altitude upto 4000 meters. The body length of adults varies between 40 and 55 centimeters with a tail length between 20 and 30 centimeters. Weight can be between 1 and 2,5 kilogram. The color of the pelt varies between pale greyish brown to dark brown and most individuals will have a white or pale yellow neck patch.
The beech marten can live close to humans without ever being seen because it will mainly be active at night. Mating occurs in the summer but birth is postponed until next spring. Although pregnancy lasts for about 9 months, real gestation is only one month. Litter have sizes between 2 and 7 individuals. Three months after birth these young animals will leave their parents and search for their own territorium. You can distinguish young and old animals by their color. The first ones have a gray pelt on their back.
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WADES EXPLANATION
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