Martes americana

Abstract

Martes americana differs from the fisher M. pennanti (subgenus Pekania) by smaller size, lighter pelage, pres- ence of a conspicuous, irregular-shaped buff to orange throat and chest patch, and absence of an external median rootlet on the upper carnassial; and it differs from the mink (Mustela vison) by longer (M. martes, M. zibellina, and M. melampus), the American marten is slightly smaller and has a relatively longer trigonid on the lower fur, bushier tail, and four upper and lower premolars in each jaw half (mink have three). In comparison to the other Holarctic martens Mustela caurina Merriam, 1890:27. Type locality, near Grays Harbor, Grays Harbor Co., Washington. Mustela atrata Bangs, 1897:162. Type locality, Bay St. George, Newfoundland. Mustela brumalis Bangs, 1898:502. Type locality, Okkak, Lab- rador. Martes americana Miller, 1912:92. First use of this binomial. CONTEXT AND CONTENT. Order Carnivora, Family species. A close relationship among the Holarctic martens, M. martes, M. zibellina, M. melampus, and M. americana, was noted by several workers (Anderson, 1970; Coues, 1877; Hagmeier, 1961; Mustelidae, Genus Martes, Subgenus Martes. The genus Martes includes seven (Corbet, 1978) or eight (Anderson, 1970) extant Ognev, 1931; Rhoads, 1902). Hall (1981) continued to recognize 14 subspecies of M. amer- icana, but other authors (Anderson, 1970; Hagmeier, 1958) em- phasized that the partitioning of the subspecies was completely ar- Mustela nesophila Osgood, 1901:33. Type locality, Massett, Gra- ham Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. carnassial; otherwise, the four spec