Beech marten
| Beech marten | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota | 
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Chordata | 
| Class: | Mammalia | 
| Order: | Carnivora | 
| Family: | Mustelidae | 
| Genus: | Martes | 
| Species: | M. foina | 
| Binomial name | |
| Martes foina (Erxleben, 1777) | |
| Beech marten range | |
The beech marten (Martes foina), also known as the stone marten, house marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List on account of its wide distribution, its large population, and its presence in a number of protected areas. It is superficially similar to the European pine marten, but differs from it by its smaller size and habitat preferences. While the pine marten is a forest specialist, the beech marten is a more generalist and adaptable species, occurring in a number of open and forest habitats.