California's Humboldt Marten: 500 Individuals Left in Fragmented Old-Growth Habitats
A three-month study in northern California using 135 remote cameras and 285 hair snares estimates about 500 Humboldt/Coastal martens remain, occupying only about 5% of their historic range with a density of roughly one animal per three square kilometers. Genetic testing found 28 males and 18 females; cameras logged 86 photographs. Martens prefer high-elevation, old-growth forests with dense canopy and abundant coarse woody debris, and the findings will guide conservation as climate-change threats loom.