r/animalid Oct 16 '23

What is this? 🦦 🦡 MUSTELID: WEASEL/MARTEN/BADGER 🦡 🦦

Pictures from Michigan’s upper peninsula.

5.6k Upvotes

1.7k

u/rowan_ash Oct 16 '23

American Marten!

594

u/Natural-Seaweed-5070 Oct 16 '23

Looks like a fox and a cat had a baby.

360

u/bandraoi-glas Oct 16 '23

In Irish the pine marten is cat crann, which means tree cat! ☺️

59

u/OleReynard1 Oct 16 '23

Grey fox climb really well Actually more like a cat

2

u/idoathing420 Oct 19 '23

Foxes, the dog that climbs similar to cats.

19

u/SledgeHannah30 Oct 17 '23

It is also my patronus!

And unfortunately, it is also JK Rowlings.

11

u/bandraoi-glas Oct 17 '23

I think also Lyra's daemon in His Dark Materials!

3

u/FitsOut_Mostly Oct 17 '23

Wasn’t Pan an ermine?

2

u/bandraoi-glas Oct 17 '23

He might have been! I thought he ended up being a marten in the end but it's been years and years since I read the books!

1

u/FitsOut_Mostly Oct 17 '23

Ahhh, ditto. I remember the beginning clearly but not so much the end. Maybe someone else will

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91

u/Drogenwurm Oct 16 '23

Oh... Fox + Cat... It's a Fat! Or ist it a Cox?

182

u/[deleted] Oct 16 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

47

u/Drogenwurm Oct 16 '23

Oh shit 😂 Thanks for the punchline, didn't saw it coming.... 😬

60

u/Wordshark Oct 16 '23

I never see the fat cox coming either 😔

34

u/Drogenwurm Oct 16 '23

Hope you find what your looking for 🙂

32

u/cyborg_elephant Oct 16 '23

You little weasel

4

u/StCyrilCeez Oct 16 '23

🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭

16

u/BeautifulDreamerAZ Oct 16 '23

That’s what she said!

4

u/twistedtyger Oct 17 '23

The quick brown fat cox jumped over the rock … or something like that… from typing class decades ago

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8

u/Dear_Bath_8822 Oct 16 '23

Username checks out

13

u/Wordshark Oct 16 '23

I love getting this comment. Never for 11 years, and then 3 times in the last month. I must be getting cleverer.

3

u/Wordshark Oct 17 '23

Oh and happy cakeday!

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11

u/gojonking Oct 16 '23

A fat cox.

5

u/donabbi Oct 16 '23

I hate you for this, have my upvote

17

u/edward-regularhands Oct 16 '23

Looks like a giant ferret

14

u/FairyFlossPanda Oct 17 '23

That is because it kinda is. It is in the same family as badgers, ferrets, wolverines, otters and weasels.

8

u/GremlineerRCT5 Oct 16 '23

I was more thinking fox and ferret

3

u/Its_me_forever14 Oct 17 '23

Looks like 30%fox 40%cat 20%ferret 5%red panda 4% dog and 1%my teachers pet turtle names billy

2

u/SparrowLikeBird Oct 17 '23

and 100% reason to remember my name

3

u/Easy_Mechanic_9787 Oct 16 '23

And more vicious than either of them combined.

5

u/Wildwood_Weasel 🦦 Mustelid Enthusiast 🦡 Oct 16 '23

Not really, what makes you say that?

2

u/iupvotefood Oct 16 '23

And an otter

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20

u/SweetMangos Oct 16 '23

I read this to the tune of “American Woman”

11

u/mehnifest Oct 17 '23

American Marten, says animal ID,

American Marten, came to visit me,

Please come a boopin’ on my door,

Cause I wanna see your face much more,

No more important things to do

Than spend my time takin’ pics of you

Now Marten, I said come my way,

American Marten, listen what I say

3

u/SweetMangos Oct 17 '23

Sincerely, thank you so much for doing this haha I am overjoyed

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466

u/ChequeRoot Oct 16 '23

1) Love the UP!

2) A gorgeous pine marten.

I would not advise letting it inside, no matter how much it begs, lol. Cute pics!

57

u/omgmypony Oct 16 '23

he looks like he wants to be friends but he also looks like he probably stinks

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93

u/cadarny Oct 16 '23

Let it in!! I had a pet marten for a few years, (obviously named it Marten) he was fuckin awesome.

41

u/cherrybombsnpopcorn Oct 16 '23

Pictuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrreeeees

69

u/cadarny Oct 16 '23 edited Oct 16 '23

It was like 10 years ago I was real young and didn't have my own phone so I don't have pics kicking around:(( I know I've seen a pic we have of it chilling on the couch w me and my brothers. If I stumble upon it I'll send it over. He was tiiiny and had a really dark coat when we first got him. Could cup his whole body in one hand. Ended up releasing it back into the wild and it stuck around the house and he ended up getting into the rabbit pen and murdered 12 bunnies rip....

(Have pics of our pet deer if you want those! Recently realized my parents were way too comfortable with taking rogue animals home, don't judge me lol)

18

u/cherrybombsnpopcorn Oct 16 '23

Lolol I can’t blame y’all. If i had a home, we’d be rehabbing whatever I could get my hands on, to my boyfriend’s chagrin.

I want to raise some possums so goddam bad.

11

u/cadarny Oct 16 '23

Yea had lots of interesting pets growing up, i consider myself pretty lucky! Haha nice, possums would be a fun one!

11

u/Boba_Fettx Oct 17 '23

“I want to raise some possums so goddamn bad”

Lolol awesome love me a big fatty possum.

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2

u/maybefeelguilty Oct 17 '23

I would actually really love to see pictures of your pet deer if you're still willing to share!!

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8

u/Evolving_Dore Oct 17 '23

Editor's note: do not do this

2

u/Tiradia Oct 18 '23

I want a stoat so bad :( things are adorkable! Desk WEASEL!

41

u/Blonde-Badger Oct 16 '23

why.

208

u/ChequeRoot Oct 16 '23

Because it will promptly subscribe to a whole bunch of streaming services it’ll never watch. Then it’ll claim it can’t pay because it’s between jobs, but knows you won’t mind covering for a bajillion random channels.


Dear Pine Martin,

There is nothing good on Hulu anymore, and honestly, and what the heck even is Crackle?!

Sincerely, Your roomie.

37

u/xxrachinwonderlandxx Oct 16 '23

They’re also notorious for hosting raves that carry on to the wee hours of the morning. Rude little freeloaders!

54

u/Blonde-Badger Oct 16 '23

Okay yeah true, he has got that kinda leeching freeloader look in his eye.

46

u/ChequeRoot Oct 16 '23

. nods.

As three raccoons in a trenchcoat, we work our tiny hands to the bone to pay the bills around our home.

Pine Marten IS a freeloader, yep yep!

Pine Marten’s latest excuse to for not having a job was (get this!) no thumbs!

4

u/MTdevoid Oct 17 '23

Do raccoons have thumbs?

3

u/ChequeRoot Oct 17 '23

https://preview.redd.it/hg5yh2km1rub1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=6593d859cdea104f601672c9fa3940b44e71b1e8

They’re not technically opposable like a primate thumb. So I suppose they’re not really thumbs, but they can be used to brace an item from behind while holding it. Pseudo-thumbs, I suppose?

22

u/Gum_Duster Oct 16 '23

Ahhhh the classic story of if you give the pine Martin a tv remote

9

u/phantomreader42 Oct 16 '23 edited Oct 17 '23

Just show it Perri on Disney Plus. That's sadly the only movie I know with a marten, and she's kinda the antagonist.

4

u/whateveramoon Oct 17 '23

His Dark Materials has one named Pan!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 17 '23

[deleted]

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1

u/thenerfviking Oct 18 '23

Like most mustelids they have sharp as fuck claws and teeth and burrowing instincts that lead them to destroy soft things like your couch. Trying to wrestle one out of your house is like trying to grab a tube sock covered in glass shards that wants you dead.

4

u/NorthernH3misphere Oct 17 '23

The UP is one of my favorite places

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2

u/hughfeeyuh Oct 17 '23

The UP? Then you like snow and cocktails. The UP loves snowmobiles, pasties and drinks.

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189

u/Wildwood_Weasel 🦦 Mustelid Enthusiast 🦡 Oct 16 '23

American marten, normally very elusive and rarely seen. Count yourself very lucky to have seen one this close!

155

u/ExtinctFauna Oct 16 '23

He wants to come in.

130

u/Thegloryfades Oct 16 '23

If you’re cold they’re cold

35

u/Old_but_New Oct 16 '23

I respectfully disagree. I used to feel sorry for animals in the winter. Then I got horses that grow winter coats (like most or all of the wild animals in my area). Those insulating, shaggy, winter coats do such a great job that now I’m convinced that they are more effective than any of the clothing we come up with.

54

u/Thegloryfades Oct 16 '23

I was making a joke, it’s a wild animal of course you shouldn’t bring it inside

23

u/Old_but_New Oct 16 '23

I didn’t think you were endorsing bring them inside but somehow I Whooshed on the cold joke.

11

u/Thegloryfades Oct 16 '23

I agree with you animals can adapt to most reasonable weather and seem to enjoy it.

4

u/thatguywhoreddit Oct 16 '23

Wish I read this far down ~5minutes ago.

15

u/MalevolentRhinoceros Oct 16 '23

Have you seen how upset huskies/malamutes/other arctic dogs get when you try to bring them inside when it's cold? Fur is a very impressive thing.

Of course, that slogan was meant more about shorthaired cats and dogs. Chihuahuas don't handle subzero temperatures so well.

1

u/Old_but_New Oct 17 '23

Yeah, but I meant animals who aren’t obviously cold-weather animals.

14

u/[deleted] Oct 16 '23

He’d fuck shit up. Any Weasley is a voracious predator that can escape from anywhere.

5

u/HorrorPsychology420 Oct 17 '23

“Weasley” 🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 best autocorrect ever

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132

u/Holiday-Medium-256 Oct 16 '23

Martin the marten.

18

u/RandomGreekPerson Oct 16 '23

What car does he drive?

16

u/PeperomiaLadder Oct 16 '23

Garbage truck lol

19

u/Zchwns Oct 16 '23

And here I was expecting him to drive an Aston Martin

10

u/PeperomiaLadder Oct 16 '23

Nah, too predictable. Maybe a beetle, they probably like those. 🪲

16

u/Zchwns Oct 16 '23

11

u/PeperomiaLadder Oct 16 '23

I've always thought a ladybug painted beetle would be fun c:

4

u/Eclectix Oct 16 '23

I remember seeing a couple of them back in the '70s.

2

u/Beginning_Anything30 Oct 17 '23

Obviously an Aspen Marten

3

u/Own_Lock_4261 Oct 16 '23

Loved loved that book

57

u/QueenMelle Oct 16 '23

Pointy kitty. Do not snug.

19

u/mecrissy Oct 17 '23

If not friend then why friend shape?

15

u/Giant_Acroyear Oct 17 '23

For future reference: do not hug the nice looking bears. They are not.

4

u/Tiradia Oct 18 '23

Friend shaped with sharp bitey bits!

11

u/neverenoughmags Oct 16 '23

Under rated comment...

73

u/MrChaindang Oct 16 '23

Something I would definitely feed, cuddle and let him chill with me in the house. I'd call him Steve... Steve Martin

13

u/dirkalict Oct 16 '23

Well excuuuuuuuuuuuse me!

4

u/Dustteas Oct 17 '23

He does look like he has a "special purpose"

37

u/lookingforfun1972 Oct 16 '23

Very cute. But still a voracious predator

25

u/gh0stly_anxietea Oct 16 '23

as others have said it's an american marten. don't be mistaken by its cute snoot. it can be vicious

104

u/Lynx_180 Oct 16 '23

Pine Marten

42

u/Felate_she_oh Oct 16 '23

Just replying to fix a common misconception that's all over every marten post. Pine marten are a European species, this is an American marten!

16

u/Lynx_180 Oct 16 '23

American marten are just called American Martens? Okay cool

2

u/Thestolenone Oct 17 '23

If this was in Europe it would be a Beech Marten not a Pine Marten, Pine Martens are almost black, Beech Martens are lighter brown in the body.

3

u/Felate_she_oh Oct 17 '23

Well yes, I'm not saying this looks like a pine marten. Just saying that people in the US often mistakenly use the phrase pine marten when they are referring to an American or Pacific marten.

15

u/Low-Squirrel2439 Oct 16 '23

American pine marten.

13

u/Stormy261 Oct 16 '23

Pan! Lyra has been looking for you

30

u/[deleted] Oct 16 '23

If you have chickens you might wanna go check on em

7

u/crapatthethriftstore Oct 16 '23

Or cats

9

u/Wildwood_Weasel 🦦 Mustelid Enthusiast 🦡 Oct 16 '23 edited Oct 16 '23

American martens weigh 2-4 lbs and aren't a threat to cats. You're probably getting him confused with the fisher, which is commonly (and mistakenly) believed to frequently prey on cats.

7

u/Elegant-Drummer1038 Oct 16 '23

First time I ever saw a fisher, it ran across the road in front of my car and snatched a cat ... whoosh and away into the forest. All in less than five seconds.

4

u/Wildwood_Weasel 🦦 Mustelid Enthusiast 🦡 Oct 16 '23

Never said they never eat cats, but every study done of fisher scat and stomach contents has not corroborated the idea that they prey on cats with any regularity and they're also very commonly misidentified.

1

u/Elegant-Drummer1038 Oct 17 '23

Never said you "never said they never eat cats". Just stated my story is all.

2

u/MTdevoid Oct 17 '23

They never crap cats.

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u/foodlandhobbit Oct 16 '23

You lucky dog!!! Those are pretty elusive and arboreal

11

u/Upset-Seaweed-3295 Oct 16 '23

It has such big ears. Based on the face markings I'd guess marten with not very much yellow.

9

u/griffonfarm Oct 16 '23

Omg I'm so jealous you got to see a marten in the wild like that! What a beautiful creature.

8

u/Led_Zeppole_73 Oct 16 '23

Seeing how it’s almost marten season in the UP. He’s looking for a good hiding place.

4

u/cherrybombsnpopcorn Oct 16 '23

Season??? These are doing well enough to harvest?

6

u/Wildwood_Weasel 🦦 Mustelid Enthusiast 🦡 Oct 16 '23

No but that won't stop most conservation departments from letting people kill them anyway.

11

u/OtterlyFoxy Oct 16 '23

Marten. Very cute

8

u/fine_chicken2028 Oct 16 '23

THIS is fucking cute is what it is

8

u/Superagent247 Oct 16 '23

Martin aka a giant wild ferret critter. You’re lucky to see one. They’re very shy and nocturnal.

5

u/ldhchicagobears Oct 16 '23

What a beaut. I love mustelids, usually so cute yet so angry...

3

u/CryptidGrimnoir Oct 17 '23

Tiny but fierce to paraphrase Dresden Files.

4

u/chssucks97 Oct 16 '23

I wanna boop the snoot

4

u/CurrentElephant1971 Oct 17 '23

If not friend, why friend shaped?!🥹

9

u/multifandomtrash736 Oct 16 '23

Ooh so beautiful 😍😍😍

3

u/CrystalAckerman Oct 16 '23

Marne! These little buggers are so damn cute.

3

u/A_Broken_Zebra Oct 16 '23

I'm pointing to my mitten hand now to show you where I used to live, Yooper!

3

u/[deleted] Oct 16 '23

Nice marten man

3

u/Prestigious_Ad_8458 Oct 16 '23

I don't know, but it is cute as hell

3

u/Meguinn Oct 16 '23

Hahaha aww the third pic! What a precious thing!

3

u/Irish-Bronx 💩💩 KNOWER OF ALL POO 💩💩 Oct 16 '23

Marty

3

u/rotterdameliza Oct 16 '23

I love it! So amazing you saw that!

3

u/Kactus_San2021 Oct 17 '23

Ah it's looks similar to a Sable! It's a Marten!

3

u/ItsaPantera Oct 17 '23

Cat snake with a couple extra pounds.

5

u/qrebenn Nov 06 '23

Not a pantera?

3

u/[deleted] Oct 17 '23

What an awesome find! American Martens are rare and beautiful!

2

u/haikusbot Oct 17 '23

What an awesome find!

American Martens are

Rare and beautiful!

- NightmareChef_


I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.

Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"

3

u/StoneColdsGoatee Oct 17 '23

His name is Luther and he is sick of your shit.

3

u/Timshky Oct 17 '23

Look at the size of those murder mittens!

3

u/ManchesterProject Oct 17 '23

That’s an endangered federally protected animal btw

5

u/Realistic-Judge-1936 Oct 16 '23

Puppy take it in

4

u/OleReynard1 Oct 16 '23 edited Oct 17 '23

That is a pine marten. Also part of the weasel family. Wolverine Badger Fisher cat Pine marten Mink Ermine

12

u/Wildwood_Weasel 🦦 Mustelid Enthusiast 🦡 Oct 16 '23

Voles are rodents, not mustelids. Not related at all.

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u/Not_A_Wendigo Oct 16 '23

A friend. Let him in.

6

u/Houdini1874 Oct 16 '23

a friend raised one from a pup, very cute and slept a lot

2

u/Timely_Elderberry_62 Oct 16 '23

That's so cool I've only seen one at a animal preserve when i was a kid.

2

u/s2Roy538 Oct 16 '23

That's a pickle weasel!

2

u/Maximum_Ad_6569 Oct 16 '23

A super long fox 🦊

2

u/shaboobalaboopy510 Oct 16 '23

I want one just so I can name it Marten Clawrence

2

u/MycoMythos Oct 17 '23

Holy shit, that's a beautiful marten!

2

u/Academic_Solid85 Oct 17 '23

2

u/calicheisback Oct 17 '23

Fishers are bigger

2

u/Wildwood_Weasel 🦦 Mustelid Enthusiast 🦡 Oct 17 '23

Martens have a pointier face, bigger ears, often lighter coloration, and are smaller than fishers.

2

u/pmactheoneandonly Oct 17 '23

He got some enormous feet

2

u/Wildwood_Weasel 🦦 Mustelid Enthusiast 🦡 Oct 17 '23

Built-in snowshoes :)

2

u/AdkRaine11 Oct 17 '23

A few years ago, I was traveling by train from the Highlands down to Glasgow. Our train slowed & paused; I was at a window seat with a woody bramble & I glanced outside. A martin was sitting on a branch at eye level and looked right at me. We must have stared at each other for 20-30 seconds before the train started again. I still remember him or her…

2

u/Pikkusika Oct 17 '23

Marten want scritches!

2

u/Timetooof Oct 17 '23

Oh I actually know this one. It's a Marten

2

u/Galen_415 Oct 17 '23

I would like to have a tea party with that furry creature, and be best friends and wear matching outfits out on the town.

2

u/quillotine42 Oct 17 '23

Whatever you do don't be that person and start feeding it.

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u/pass-the-waffles Oct 17 '23

A curious Marten

2

u/nanana789 Oct 17 '23

What a cute little fella!

2

u/germoney9 Oct 17 '23

Pine Marten

2

u/guccimaneslawyer Oct 17 '23

Thassa thicc marten.

2

u/FortuneNatural8047 Oct 17 '23

Boy he looks pissed.

2

u/FEVRISH_JK Oct 17 '23

oh boy a Yooper! I'm a Troll so its always a delight to see our bretheren from the north.

2

u/ThatguySevin Oct 17 '23

Marten!! The cutest forest brats.

2

u/ThumpyTheDumpy Oct 16 '23

A lil sweetie 🥹

3

u/xeroxenon Oct 16 '23

A cutie patootie

2

u/BeholdOurMachines Oct 16 '23

He baby. He Marten

2

u/phutch54 Oct 16 '23

Pine Martin.

2

u/jay7254 Oct 16 '23

What an angel

1

u/Sea-Illustrator-6553 Oct 17 '23

Looks like a weasel

1

u/MPatton94 Oct 16 '23

Oh my gosh it’s so cute

1

u/500SL Oct 16 '23

Marty Stouffer can’t be far away!

3

u/Cocrawfo Oct 17 '23

wild america!

1

u/nudibee Oct 16 '23

Pine marten

1

u/poppaT76 Oct 16 '23

Pine Marten

1

u/silGavilon Oct 16 '23

Forest otter! mustelids... pound for pound the toughest and cutest family!

1

u/Jay-Storm Oct 16 '23

That would be a cutie patootie

1

u/ScorpiCrab Oct 16 '23

Just let him in godammit...

1

u/ShotoTodorokiAnime Oct 17 '23

Definitely a pine marten !!

1

u/Elguapo1094 Oct 17 '23

A mongoose

1

u/[deleted] Oct 17 '23

Looks like a ferret

1

u/pluckvermont Oct 17 '23

Nice marmot

2

u/[deleted] Oct 16 '23

Looks cold, let it inside.

0

u/Mysterious-Region640 Oct 16 '23

Fisher or mink. I always get them mixed up.

0

u/ViridianOnWhiteWalls Oct 17 '23

Looks like a Fisher cat

-1

u/sbingham2334 Oct 16 '23

Imagine not going outside often

9

u/Jeff_Spicoliii Oct 16 '23

The Marten is an elusive animal and not the sort of thing you see on the regular in the woods.

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