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The marten belongs to the weasel family (Mustelidae), which also includes animals such as ermines, mink, ferrets, and wolverines. Marten are found in Canada and in parts of the United States and in the Eastern Hemisphere from Europe to the Malay region.
American martens are most active at night. They hunt most at dawn and dusk when prey animals are most active. Males and females are sometimes seen together, but they prefer to spend their time alone. American martens spend a lot of their time in the trees, but they do most of their hunting on the ground. They mark scent trails from tree to tree with their strong scent glands.