Pine Marten not so cute after all! (1 Viewer)

[pine marten research]

Hi All!

I just came across this forum & hope you all dont mind me joining in!
Im doing my PhD research on pine martens, focussing on developing DNA techniques for monitoring the species. As you know they are difficult to spot in the wild making sightings surveys impossible and live trapping is not ideal either for endangered species.

We are using samples of hair and faeces collected in the field to identify species, sex and individuals (through DNA fingerprinting). This will give us an idea of how many males and females are in an area.
It is also possible to measure levels of inbreeding in the population and how much they come and go between populations within Ireland by comparing DNA of different populations..though I havent got to this stage of the research yet!

I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has sightings data but also roadkill samples. I need tissue from roadkill animals as controls (known species, sex, individual) to make sure the DNA methods are accurate when using on unknown samples collected from the field.

If you are interested in helping out with this research please get in contact! :t: Id also love to hear your stories of encounters with pine martens, good or bad, to assess the problems that may arise with the currently expanding population..

Thanks!!

Jacinta

 

[Martin Thomas]

As someone who lives on the cusp of the red/grey squirrel border here in Cumbria I'd love to see pine martens reintroduced as a method of grey control. They would certainly find the larger, slower, ground-orientated squirrels easier to catch and if reds were at the population levels they should be then there would simply be a natural regulation of numbers.

There's a locally held belief that pine martens exist in parts of Cumbria but no one has ever carried out a detailed study. I'm not sure what the findings were of Johnny Birks' North Yorkshire sudy but were not a million miles from the area here in the North Lakes.

@ Jacinta. I'm very interested in hearing more about your research. The seminal Fladstad et al. 2004 wolverine paper inspired me to get into conservation genetics and I'm now researching the hen harrier population of the UK for a PhD (at age 50!).

 

[iolar]

In case anyone thinks I'm the crackpot a friend of mine was recently told in no uncertain terms at an Irish Farmers Association meeting that Martens had killed sheep with a spiked tail. I'd heard of the belief before but only in a historical context. I was amazed that someone in this day and age still believed it. The farmer could have been joking of course but my friend didn't think so. Despite this and the persecution which it may lead to Pine Martens are growing in numbers I believe. Having never seen one before 2005 I've had 3 sightings in Co. Tipperary since then. Its not usually seen as a core area.

Tom

I saw one in Tipperary last year too raiding a blackbirds nest

Pine martins with a spiked tail? lol - maybe its their name that caused that particular misbelief.

 

[Brosnabirder]

I saw one in Tipperary last year too raiding a blackbirds nest

Pine martins with a spiked tail? lol - maybe its their name that caused that particular misbelief.

Very interesting. Whereabouts in Tipperary did you see it?

 

[John In Ireland]

Poor old Pine Martin. He only wants his dinner. Anyone on this thread ever had a bacon butty?

 

[John In Ireland]

I have one in my garden almost every night!

 

[MarkHows]

I have one in my garden almost every night!

Lucky ******

Mark

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Poor old Pine Martin. He only wants his dinner. Anyone on this thread ever had a bacon butty?

I'd love one at this minute, but I've got no bacon.

 

[Sancho]

I have one in my garden almost every night!

You serious? I´ve never seen a Pine Marten! Congratulations!

 

[John In Ireland]

Pine Marten

You serious? I´ve never seen a Pine Marten! Congratulations!

Yes .... check out my website. About half way down. Click on the two pictures to enlarge.

 

[John P]

Anyone on this thread ever had a bacon butty?


I have one in my garden almost every night!

Are you not allowed to eat them indoors then; or what?

 

[John In Ireland]

Are you not allowed to eat them indoors then; or what?

Have you tried getting one to keep still in the pan??