Martes

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In biological classification, Martes (Alias:marten)It is a genus of the carnivorous order Weaselidae. There are 8 species in total, including 2 species in North America and 6 species in Eurasia. The body is slender and the limbs are short. The body length is 40-56 cm, the tail length is 15-17 cm, and the weight is 0.5-0.75 kg; the tail is short and fluffy; the fur on the whole body is brown to brown-black, with large colored spots on the throat. The Japanese marten is only found in Japan, the yellow-throated marten is found throughout Asia, and the sable is a typical species of the boreal coniferous forest.

Martens live in forested mountains and live a semi-arboreal life. They can move around and look for food day and night, but mostly at night. They usually hide in caves to sleep and rest during the day, and go out at night, especially in the morning and dusk. Live mostly alone. It has keen vision and hearing, moves quickly, is good at climbing, likes to climb trees, and is also very dexterous in jumping on the ground. It has a wide range of food habits, mainly preying on small vertebrates, mainly mice, birds, hares, and marmots. It also eats amphibians and small reptiles. In autumn, it also eats plant foods such as nuts and berries. All are found in the Northern Hemisphere.

The body length of minks is 40-56 cm, the tail length is 15-17 cm, and the weight is 0.5-0.75 kg. The morphological characteristic is that the throat coat color is lighter than the body color. The throats of pine martens and stone martens are white, and the yellow-throated marten is the same as the sable. The body is slender, the limbs are short, the tail is long and fluffy; the head is relatively pointed and narrow, slightly triangular; the ears are generally short and round, and the body is slender and cylindrical. Although the limbs are short, they are strong and powerful. There are 5 toes on each front and rear limbs, and the toe claws are curved and sharp. Sensitive sense of smell and hearing. The canine teeth are more developed and the cleft teeth are smaller; the upper molars are arranged horizontally, and the inner leaves are wider than the outer leaves; the crown diameter of the molars is greater than the height of the outer incisors. The body hair is soft and mostly without markings. Both front and rear feet have 5 fingers (toes); they are plantar; the claws are sharp and cannot be retracted. There are odor glands near the anus, which can release odor to repel enemies and defend themselves.

Distributed in western Europe, Crimea, Caucasus, Asia Minor, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Altai, Mongolia, Ussuri River Basin, Heilongjiang Basin, North Korea, Kashmir, northwest Indian Peninsula, Indochina, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, the United States and Canada, among other places.

Minks inhabit northern coniferous forests, mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests, and broadleaf forests. It likes to live in rocky mountain forest environments, grasslands and valleys on the Loess Plateau. It is found in large areas of hilly or mountain forests, but is not affected by forest type. It can be found in the red pine forests in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains in the Northeast, the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests in the Qinling Mountains, to the monsoon forests in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, and in the alpine forests of Taiwan and Hainan.

They can move around and look for food day and night, but mostly at night. They usually hide in caves to sleep and rest during the day, and go out for activities at night. The main activity time is at dawn and continues until early morning. Activity is most frequent in the morning and evening, especially. Live mostly alone. It has keen vision and hearing, moves quickly, is good at climbing, likes to climb trees, and is also very dexterous in jumping on the ground. But the speed of running on flat ground is slower, and vertical jumps are often given during running. Nests in stone piles, tree holes or under tree roots. Once disturbed, he disappeared into the woods in an instant.

It is mainly carnivorous and loves to bite and kill. It has a wide range of food habits, mainly preying on small vertebrates, mainly mice, birds, hares, and marmots. It also eats amphibians and small reptiles. In autumn, it also eats plant foods such as nuts and berries. Larger martens (such as yellow-throated martens) can also prey on hoofed animals such as young deer and muntjacs.

During the breeding period of minks, males and females form pairs. They mate in autumn and give birth in spring. It is an animal with seasonal estrus, and the development of sexual organs also has obvious seasonal cycle changes. Every year in July, the testicles of the male animals are fully developed and elastic, and the vulva of the female animals is swollen. At this time, they make mating calls to each other, which are one long and one short "Whoa, whoa...", a short sound. High and loud, the long sound is a high-low and slightly vibrato guttural sound, and then they lick each other's heads and genitals. Estrus and mating end in August, and the female's gestation period is about 8 months. She gives birth to cubs in March to April of the following year, with each litter giving birth to 2-6 cubs.

Mink is the natural enemy of rats in agricultural and forestry areas, and it is also a valuable fur animal. Its fur is tough and soft, with fine velvet, and its color is light and beautiful. Therefore, it can also be made into high-end fur and is a potential economic resource. The wild population is rare and the distribution area is reduced. In order to protect this animal resource, China has controlled the hunting of sable, stone marten and yellow-throated marten.