Marten, pine

Grupe, G. and Kruger H. 1990 Feeding ecology of the stone and pine marten revealed hy element analysis of their skeleton. Science of the Total Environment 90 227-240. 

Strange as it sounds, the absence of odor often serves as a powerful stimulis unfamiliar and still unmarked objects or areas prompt vigorous scent marking. This applies to many mammals, including ungulates, such as pronghorn, Antilocapra americana (Muller-Schwarze et al, 1972) rodents, such as house mice, Mus musculus (Hurst, 1987), and carnivores (Kleiman, 1966). For example, pine martens, Maries martes, mark most consistently unmarked objects and do not mark objects that already carry their own odor. It is concluded that marking primarily serves familiarization. 

DeMonte, M. and Roeder, J. J. (1990). Responses to inter- and intraspecific scent marks in pine martens Martes martes). Journal of ChemicalEcology 16,611-618. 

Stoat Weasel Polecat Pine marten Otter... 

The American pine marten Mantes americana) ranges widely in conifer-dominated and mixed wood forests of North America. The closely related pine marten (M. mantes) occurs in similar habitats in northern Europe and Asia, as does the Japanese marten (M. melampus) of Japan. The fisher (M. pennanti) of North America is a larger species, as are the beech marten (M. foina) of Eurasia, the sable (M. zibellina) of northern Asia, and the Himalayan marten (M. flavigula) of mountainous regions of southern Asia. 

However, the malodorous substances of the beach marten Martes foina, of the pine marte Martes martes 318) of the raccoon Procyon lotor 324) and the subcaudal gland of the badger Meles meles are fatty acids rather than sulfur compounds 323). 

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