Hi,
 
If I'm remembering my time in Colorado correctly, martens are large
mustelids related to the even larger Rocky Mountain Fisher.  Where I lived,
we had stone martens, which needless to say like to hang out on rocks.  Some
of the local children (teenagers, really) used to like to go out and "plug
rock chucks" with small caliber rifles since the martens made such a
tempting target siloutted against the top of a rock outcrop.  At least
that's what the ones I caught said - right before they ran like the devil
himself was chasing them - which might have been preferable to being caught
again by me <g>.  There are also pine martens, which I understand are
semi-arboreal.
 
The Rocky Mountain Fisher is extinct in most of its former range in the
lower 48 states, but I understand that it still thrives in some parts of
Canada.  It has the distinction of being one of the few animals mean enough
to hunt porcupines as its primary food source.  I once heard a fellow
describing the hunting technique - the fisher would face the porcupine
squarely, then whack it under the chin and attack the soft underbelly.
Having watched my smallest, Lulu attack and kill giant carpenter wasps, I
have no trouble seeing this at all...
 
Gwen
[Posted in FML issue 1705]