Like the polar bear, Wisconsin?s only mammal on the state?s endangered species list could also become a victim of global warming. Research conducted by a state wildlife biologist indicates that in order for the reintroduced American marten to survive in Wisconsin, the species seems to need an annual dose of heavy snowfall, something that has been absent from the northland for a number of years.
?The marten does better during years of high snowfalls in the north,? says Jim Woodford, a wildlife biologist for the Department of Natural Resource. ?When there is less snowfall, like we have seen in the last few years, they are at a disadvantage.?
In the winter, martens tunnel under the snow in search of small animals. With less snow they compete for these limited foods with the bigger predators like fishers, bobcats and fox. Martens feed mainly on mice, voles and other small mammals but will prey on squirrels, hares, reptiles and birds.
?Mice and vole populations can vary much from year to year,? Woodford said, ?and that could be another reason why marten populations are not increasing.?
Woodford has been studying martens for the past five years. In a study he did four years biologists placed radio collars on martens to determine their daily dispersal habitats and survival rates. The study area included most of Forest and the eastern portions of Vilas and Oneida counties.
American martens ? sometimes referred to as a pine marten due to the similarities shared with their European pine marten relatives -- were once common in the state but were extirpated by 1925 because of unregulated harvest and habitat alteration. Attempts were made to reintroduce the animals in 1953 on Stockton Island in the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, and between 1975 and 1983, the DNR and the U.S. Forest Service obtained 172 martens from Ontario and Colorado and released them in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Forest and Ashland counties. Between 1987 and 1990, DNR biologists released 139 martens from northern Minnesota on the Chequamegon side, the northwest portion of the National Forest.
The state?s marten population will get another boost this year. A new stocking program will add 100 more marten?s to the Chequamegon National Forest zone. Wildlife biologists will continue to study this shy creature with hopes of establishing a self-sustaining population in the state.
According to Woodford, there may be less than 500 martens in the state right now.
?Our martens in the Nicolet National forest in the northeastern part of the state seem to be doing better than those in the north central area of the Chequamegon National Forest,? Woodford said.
These reddish brown or dark brown animals can weigh between 1-and-a-half to 2-and-a-half pounds and males can grow up to 25 inches. Martens have long bushy tails that are one-third of their total length.
Wisconsin marten research and reintroduction are supported by tax deductable donations.
?Gifts to the Endangered Resources Fund help to conserve wildlife and their habitats while it is still cost-effective to protect them,? said Signe Holtz, director of the DNR Endangered Resources program.
?Every contribution, big or small, adds up to make an immeasurable impact on Wisconsin?s quality of resources and quality of life. It is a vital investment in the health and well-being of the environment, economy and quality of life ? benefits everyone can appreciate and enjoy, now and for generations to come,? Holtz said.
?For those residents who haven?t yet filed their state income taxes, we are asking them to ?Look for the Loon? and support Wisconsin?s endangered resources,? said Holtz, adding that each dollar donated to the Endangered Resources Tax Checkoff is matched by state funds, ?making your gifts twice as important.?
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Endangered Resources - (608) 266-7-12WDNR
