Wild martens are hated and feared by humans and small animals alike. However, there are also people who keep martens as pets. The latter live significantly longer than martens in the wild. Life expectancy also depends on the marten species. Find out below how old martens get.
On average, martens live for three years
Factors for the age of a marten
How old martens get depends both on the marten species and on its living conditions. Martens are hunted for various reasons:
- Their fur is used to make clothing and accessories.
- In a household with cats, martens pose a threat to the cat.
- Martens like to nest in the attic or in the wall and cause damage to the insulation there.
- Martens chew on wires in the car
These facts shorten their lifetime enormously on average.
Life expectancy of stone martens
Next to the pine marten, the stone marten is the most common species of marten in our country. It's the stone martens that get into the house, nibble on the car cables and drive the chickens crazy, which is why they are also called house martens or car martens.
A beech marten in nature will average 3 years old, the minimum age is 10 years. However, if the stone marten is kept as a pet, it can up to 18 years old.
How old do pine martens get?
Pine martens, also known as noble martens, are not hunted as pests because they keep away from humans and live in the forest. This is probably also the reason why their life expectancy is significantly higher: Up to 10 years the animals get old on average. The maximum age is 16 years.
The fur of pine martens is nicer than that of stone martens, which is why they are still hunted in some regions.