Martens are members of the Weasel family, beautiful, but deadly predators.
The Marten you are most likely to see in France is the Beech (or Stone) Marten (Martes foina). He seems to like living in the vicinity of human beings, and is rather fond of our poultry! He has a thing about attics, and speaks French well enough to nest in your "grenier". You will possibly hear him lumping around overhead during the night as he builds his nest of hay (hence his Latin name).
You will only come across is his cousin the Pine Marten (Martes martes) if you are walking around in coniferous woods. He is rather like a cross between a large squirrel and a weasel. The Pine Marten is much more active by day. The two species can easily be distinguished by the yellowish bib (of the Pine Marten) and the white bib of the Stone Marten.
Both Martens have very bushy tails and a fluid, bounding, gait when on the ground. This might make them seem a bit "squirrelly", but do not be mislead, their behaviour is very “weaselly” indeed. Do not mess around with either of them! – they are both very beautiful, but like all the weasel family they are fury personified when cornered or angered. They both smell rather nice - sort of musky - and this is how you can easily tell them from their rather smelly cousin, the Polecat (le putois in French).
There are many tales about the inquisitiveness of the Pine Marten. It is said that if you can find one of his "runs" (rather like a Hare run) and then place yourself quietly somewhere along it he will come stealthily to peer at you if you whistle something he approves of - "Abide with me" is supposed to be very good! He is also very playful, and can sometimes be seen in the treetops running around with red squirrels. The squirrels will play nicely - but they know enough never to turn their backs on him. If they do he stops being friendly and eats them!
As well as a very catholic taste for meat - basically anything living that can be reduced to dead - Martens are also very fond of ripe fruit and honey. If you find little piles of cherrystones wrapped lightly in "poo", then you're probably on the trail of a Marten. Follow them to the woods and it’s probably a Pine Marten, follow them to an old building and it’s probably a Beech Marten. Creep around the cherry trees at night and you might get a glimpse!
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