Surprise! 

December 4, 2025 – Yosemite National Park officials offer a glimpse of an elusive American marten, known as a pine marten.

As snow begins to fall in Yosemite’s high country, many animals prefer to migrate to warmer climates at lower elevations. However, wintertime is the season when the American marten (Martes Americana) comes out to play!

Often called the "pine marten" due to its resemblance to its European cousin, this small member of the weasel family is an elusive animal found in the higher elevations of the park. This marten may look cute and cuddly, but it has sharp teeth and curved claws to help it climb trees and catch prey. In winter, long hairs grow between the mammal's webbed toepads, an adaptation that lets it travel quickly across fresh snow. When that same snow turns to ice, the marten's long, narrow body grants it the ability to tunnel through with ease.

American martens are primarily nocturnal, so spotting one in the park may be a rare find. But, at high elevations, when the powder is fresh after a winter storm, look for small tracks in the snow signaling a marten on the search for food.

If you come across any animal in the park, please remember to treat wildlife with proper caution and respect. Observe them from a distance as they go about their day and never feed them (no matter how adorable they look).

Source & photo: NPS