European pine martens – sometimes known as baum marten or sweet marten – are native to Northern Europe and belong to the same family as mink, otters, badgers, wolverines and weasels.
Pine martens grow long and silky coats to deal with harsh winter weather. They eat a varied diet of honey, fruits, birds eggs and small animals such as frogs and insects.
Worryingly, pine marten numbers are decreasing due to humans encroaching on their habitat as woodlands are destroyed. A protected species in the UK, in other countries they are still sought for their fur. For the time time being they are classed as least concern on the endangered species list.
Pine martens are similar in appearance to a ferret but are not an animal to be kept as a pet. For an animal so cute it can be tempting to want to hug one and never let it go, but we must resist and simply adore them from afar and in tattoo form.
The Tattooed Archivist 