# What Do Pine Martens Eat?

> What pine martens eat: Carnivore — small mammals, birds, eggs, and fruit, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Conifer and mixed forests of Europe and western Asia.

- **Species:** Pine Marten (*Martes martes*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore — small mammals, birds, eggs, and fruit
- **Habitat:** Conifer and mixed forests of Europe and western Asia
- **Lifespan:** 8–10 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 25 km/h (16 mph); agile in trees
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pine-marten/what-do-pine-marten-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pine-marten/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The pine marten (Martes martes) is an agile, cat-sized member of the weasel family found in the conifer and mixed forests of Europe and western Asia. About 55 cm long with rich brown fur and a cream-coloured throat patch, it is an expert climber that hunts small mammals, birds, and eggs, and also eats fruit. Largely nocturnal and solitary, it can live up to ten years in the wild.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Life in the trees

The pine marten is superbly adapted to an arboreal life, with a long body, sharp semi-retractable claws, and a bushy tail that helps it balance as it bounds through the canopy. It can leap between branches and descend tree trunks head-first, hunting squirrels and birds far above the ground. Much of its life is spent in dense woodland, where it dens in tree hollows, old nests, and rocky crevices. This agility sets it apart from most other members of the weasel family.

## Help protect the Pine Marten

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pine-marten/what-do-pine-marten-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.