The stone marten (Martes foina) is one of the most widespread mustelids in Italy, but very few people recognise it. It gets confused with the weasel, the ferret, sometimes even the badger. Yet it's the wild animal that most frequently lives in close contact with humans — in lofts, abandoned warehouses and garages.
If you've found one injured, trapped or in trouble, there are some important things to know before doing anything.
How to recognise a stone marten
An adult stone marten weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 kg. It has a dark brownish-grey back, a lighter belly, and — the diagnostic feature — a white patch on the throat that forks toward the chest. Large eyes, rounded ears, long bushy tail.
The weasel is much smaller (100–250 g), almost uniform tawny-brown, with no white throat patch.
The stone marten is essentially nocturnal, though in spring and summer it may be active at dusk. If you see one during the day, motionless or struggling to move, it almost certainly has a problem.
When it needs help
Intervene if:
- It's motionless in daylight in an exposed spot
- It's moving abnormally (circling, staggering)
- It has visible injuries or has been caught by a dog or cat
- It's a juvenile (May–July): young with eyes still closed or just opened, found alone
- It's trapped in netting, a fishing net, or a closed garage
Don't intervene if:
- You see it in the evening or at night in perfect condition — that's normal
- It's in the loft but shows no signs of distress — that's its den
How to pick it up safely
Stone martens bite hard. They're not aggressive by nature, but if threatened they use their teeth with surgical precision. Thick work gloves are the bare minimum.
If it's in an open space and can't escape:
- Cover the head with a thick towel
- Wrap the body keeping the legs pinned
- Put it straight into a sturdy cardboard box with ventilation holes, lined with cloth
If it's trapped (in netting, behind furniture, in a tight space):
- Call the rescue centre first — sometimes specialist equipment is needed
- Don't try to pull it out by force: you can do more damage than good
What not to do
Don't feed it. The stone marten is an obligate carnivore and its rehabilitation diet is very specific: improvised feeding causes serious deficiencies within days.
Don't put it in a birdcage or anything with thin bars: its paws get caught and break.
Don't keep it at home beyond the time needed to reach the rescue centre. Martens in captivity develop confinement stress rapidly.
The problem with martens in the loft
If you have a marten that's taken up permanent residence in the loft or a barn, it's not an emergency — it's a silent (or not-so-silent at night) tenant. In that case it's not a rescue situation but a coexistence or deterrence issue, which needs to be handled non-lethally.
Contact a local wildlife authority or a company specialising in urban wildlife: the stone marten is a protected species and violent removal or lethal traps are illegal.
Something worth knowing
The stone marten has an extremely rare biological mechanism: embryonic diapause. Mating happens in summer, but implantation of the embryo in the uterus is suspended for months — the young are born in March-April even though fertilisation took place in July. It's one of the most precise examples of reproductive timing control among Italian mammals.
Legal protection
The stone marten is protected under Law 157/1992: it cannot be hunted, captured or killed. Exceptions exist only for documented agricultural damage, with regional authorisation. Finding one injured and taking it to a rescue centre is rescue, not possession.
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