GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — While winter slows down some of the wildlife in Jackson Hole, it doesn’t stop the American pine marten from being active.
In a Wednesday social media post, Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) shared some facts about the pine marten, which is a year-round active resident of the park. Pine martens are part of the weasel family, along with otters and ferrets, per GTNP. Each one is typically smaller than a domestic house cat and weighs approximately 2 pounds.
GTNP says that a pine marten’s large paws act as snowshoes, allowing the furry creatures to travel on top of deep snow. Their slender bodies help them slip through tunnels under the surface when hunting for small prey.
“Agile tree climbers and ferocious hunters, they use their bushy tails for balance while chasing prey like red squirrels through the branches,” GTNP wrote. Pine martens also have semi-retractable claws and flexible ankles that rotate 180 degrees to help them climb up and down trees.
Pine martens are omnivores and eat mostly small mammals and birds, insects, fruit, fungi and nuts. Female pine martens give birth to between one and five kits each year, which are born blind and are fully dependent on their mother.
“When you explore snowy landscapes, give animals space and observe from a distance,” GTNP wrote. “You are a visitor in their winter home.”
