Winter Diet and Habitat Selection of Marten in Yosemite National Park

Abstract

Food habits and habitat selection of marten (M. americana) were studied over 2 winters in Yosemite National Park, California. Analysis of 91 droppings showed substantial differences in diet between the 2 winters. White-tailed jack rabbits (Lepus townsendii) and voles (Microtus spp.) were the principal food items in 1976-1977 and 1979-1980, respectively. Habitat use was determined from following 34.8 km of marten tracks. Travel routes occurred in all habitat types, but marten did not rest or hunt in meadows or on granite domes. Marten selected dense cover less than 3 m above snow level and used tree trunks and other objects for access to the subnivean zone. Logs served as den sites and hunting areas, and rocks were used for scent and urine marking. Mixed-aged forests were important in furnishing subnivean access and protective cover over a wide range of snow conditions.