The American Martin is one of Newfoundland's endangered mammals. It is a member of the weasel family, with a slender body, short limbs and claws that are for climbing. It has a bushy tail, a flat head, a sharp nose, long ears and black eyes. Its fur is soft and yellowish-brown, darker on the tail and legs, and lighter on the belly. Martens have a thick coat for the winter, in which they shed in the spring, and then a thinner coat grows in for the summer.

The residential Newfoundland Marten preys mostly on Red Squirrels, Meadow Voles, and Snowshoe Hares. The restricted availability of these mammals on the island of Newfoundland, may be one of the limiting factors of the Marten population, shown by a study in Terra Nova National Park.

Reasons for the decrease in the marten population have been because of the limited availability of prey, they've been killed in traps set out for other species, disease, human disturbances, and a lack of habitats due to forest fires, traps and logging.

There are a number of projects and rules being set in to try and keep and increase the marten population in Newfoundland. Trapping of the marten has been illegal in Newfoundland since 1934. There have been a number of population demographic studies throughout the province, primarily in the Little Grand Lake area, where all snaring and trapping of any species is forbidden, since 1973. Terra Nova National Park holds presentations throughout the summer for all the campers in the park. In the presentations, they explain the reasons why the pine marten population have decresed and what they're doing to increase it. They also tell campers that if they see any pine marten in the vacinity, to report it to one of the rangers.

This animal, just like any other, is an important part of our environment. Some of the reasons why this animal is endangered are natural but some are also the casue of human disturbances. Therefore, if we had anything to do with the decrease in the marten's population decrease, then we should have something to do with the marten's population increase.

Reference: http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/Species/English/SearchDetail.cfm?SpeciesID=134