Winter food habits of Marten, Martes americana, on the Queen Charlotte Islands

Abstract

We analyzed prey remains in the digestive tracts from 97 Martens of known sex taken on the Queen Charlotte Islands during winters of 1983 to 1986. The diet was diverse consisting mostly of birds (55% frequency of occurrence), and carrion from deer (35%) and fish (27%). Small mammals (14%) and marine invertebrates (8%) were minor food items. We found nothing in the diet that would account for the distinct cranial morphology or pronounced sexual size dimorphism exhibited by this insular population.