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Post by NellyDee on Oct 10, 2016 15:17:56 GMT
I am really puzzled by what looks like the fur has been burnt off in a patch across one of my pine marten's back. Notice how the fur is up around the patch, like the fur has been shaved. I have taken clip off trail cam video so not very clear. The Pine Marten seems to be ok as it was busy wandering around feeding in the night. I checked with neighbours and my gardener - had they been having fires and perhaps left hot ashes about - no. If someone used a shot gun, would it leave burn marks? Maybe getting paranoid but I did hear a couple of gun shots in the night.
 
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Post by Tringa on Oct 11, 2016 7:56:04 GMT
That is odd. I have not seen anything like it.
Can you post the video to a sharing site (eg You Tube) so we can see it? Like you, I have found selecting a still from a video almost always ends up with a blurry image. I wonder if it could be a bit like mange in foxes, though I have never heard of mange-like conditions in pine martens and all the martens I have seen have, apart from one that was clearly limping, looked very healthy.
Dave
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Post by NellyDee on Oct 11, 2016 8:38:15 GMT
Herewith video. I don't think it is mange as this patch on the pine marten's back appeared within a day. The videos from the previous day did not show any markings on any of the three that come every night, they all looked healthy.  Pine Marten damage by Helen Skelton, on Flickr |
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Post by Tringa on Oct 11, 2016 16:02:33 GMT
Thanks for posting the video. It is very puzzling. As it happened within one day it does suggest something sudden and extreme. Gunshot could be a possibility but I would have thought a shot that caused some much of an injury would have left the animal at least a bit disabled the following day. I wonder if it could have been caused by the marten wriggling out of trap, but again the pattern of the injury doesn't look right.
John (The Woodman) from WAB would be the man to ask. If you don't have an email address for him I can let him know about your stills and video, if that is OK with you.
Pity the animal visited at nearly 2:30 am or you might have been able to have a look at it yourself.
Dave
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Post by valleyforge on Oct 11, 2016 16:21:20 GMT
Don't think it is a burn ... and not really consistent with a gunshot wound ... looks much more like the patch of fur and probably some underlying skin has been torn (or bitten) off.
Mustelids have quite a tough hide (in comparison to say a domestic cat) so that may be why the pine marten appears to be reasonably unaffected by what appears to be quite a severe injury ... nevertheless, the risk of infection to such a large wound is probably significant.
I haven't encountered any mustelid with such an extensive area of pelage damage ... rough mating in mustelids can cause patches of skin removal from bites to the neck of the female, and in badgers rumps can suffer some damage due to remonstrative bites from more senior ranked clan members ... but nothing of this extent.
I wonder if this may be debridement caused by 'road burn' during a Road Traffic Accident?
Best monitor over the next few nights to see if there are any signs of deterioration.
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Post by Cotham Marble on Oct 11, 2016 16:21:27 GMT
I wonder if this animal used a bonfire pile as a day refuge, and then got a shock when it was lit. I know they usually prefer to be well above ground but a pile of sticks and branches might have been an attractive daytime lodge.
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Post by accipiter on Oct 11, 2016 17:42:40 GMT
Definitely not from a gunshot, but I have seen something similar on an injury on a brown hare cause by an homemade spring trap, the sort that used to be made by the local blacksmith years ago for poachers.
When caught in these kinds of traps the animals may well receive all kinds of injures sometimes even loosing limbs in order to free themselves.
Alan
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Post by NellyDee on Oct 12, 2016 8:29:46 GMT
Only one pine marten appeared last night, fit and healthy, but not really surprised as yesterday for some reason there was no wild life about no birds or red squirrel, it was a strangely quite day. Likewise this morning, always feel slightly unnerved when it is like this.
Ok by me Dave letting John Know.
CM I did check re bonfires as that was my first thought, certainly not in a 2 mile radius. The forestry blokes are re fencing up the high ground, but doubt they would have fires, but I suppose it could be possible that the Pine Marten got stuck in one of the huge 'bales' of fencing that were dropped up there by helicopter.
Accipiter - hope it is not a trap. I know some people are dead against pine martens, but don't think or hope that they would go to that extreme.
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Post by rowanberry on Oct 12, 2016 18:33:14 GMT
I hope it's going to be ok, and that it reappears again soon... it did look as though it were moving a bit stiffly in your video clip.  |
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Post by accipiter on Oct 12, 2016 19:23:15 GMT
Accipiter - hope it is not a trap. I know some people are dead against pine martens, but don't think or hope that they would go to that extreme. It was only a thought based on the brown hare incident I mentioned previously, but I still find laid poisons, old rusty gin traps, and pole traps from time to time including other homemade traps some of which are very crude in their construction but nonetheless designed to kill animals and birds in ways which are “very disturbing” to say the least. Alan |
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Post by ayjay on Oct 13, 2016 20:29:17 GMT
It's difficult to tell from the pics (and the video won't play for me) but could it be something like oil/grease/creosote/paint?
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Post by NellyDee on Oct 16, 2016 15:28:58 GMT
Update - After chats with others - thank you:) Decided it was from road miss hit. Weather been atrocious but managed to get a clip from video which seems to show the damaged area 'cleaned up', still there but not all back. Pine marten seem ok, coming out in all weather to get at the sultanas and peanuts. What is puzzling me now is where have the others gone, 2 adults + other juniors. Herewith photo - it was tipping it down so very blurry, but can see where the damage was.  Pine Marten Damage by Helen Skelton, on Flickr |
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