Beech Marten

The beech marten is a slender, cat-sized mustelid with long limbs and a bushy tail. Its coarse coat ranges from dark brown to pale grayish-brown, commonly with a white or buff-colored marking extending from beneath the chin down the neck and chest. The soles of its feet have little or no fur. Head-and-body length is approximately 40–54 cm, while the tail adds another 22–30 cm. Males and females are externally similar in coloration and general form. (Animal Diversity Web)

Beech martens range across much of Europe and central Asia, extending eastward to Mongolia and the Himalayas. They favor open deciduous woodland, rocky mountain country, scrub, farmland, and settlements, where they may shelter in buildings, hollow trees, abandoned burrows, or crevices. They are primarily nocturnal, solitary, territorial, and excellent climbers. Opportunistic omnivores, they prefer animal prey such as small mammals, birds, eggs, frogs, and arthropods, but also consume summer berries, other fruit, and carrion. Surplus food may be cached. (Animal Diversity Web)