Japanese marten

Japanese marten (Martes melampus )

The Japanese marten (Martes melampus ) is a predatory species of the genus genuine marten. It is closely related to the sable and the European pine marten.

Description

The coat color of the Japanese marten varies from yellow-brown to dark brown, the neck he has a whitish spot. He has the typical elongated physique many marten, the limbs are short, bushy tail. These animals can reach a body length 47-54 cm and a tail length of 17-23 centimeters. With an average of 1.6 kg weight males are significantly heavier than females, weighing only around 1.0 kilograms.

Distribution and habitat

Japanese martens were originally on the three southern mainland Japan ( Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu ), native to Tsushima and Korea. For their fur, they were introduced to Hokkaido and Sado. Their habitat are primarily woods, but sometimes they hold on even in more open terrain.

Way of life

Not much is known about the habits of Japanese marten. They build nests in burrows and also on trees. Thither they retire on the day to go out at night in search of food. There are territorial animals that mark their territory with secretions from scent glands and outside the mating season live solitary. Like most Marder they are omnivores, take the small mammals and other vertebrates such as birds and frogs, crustaceans and insects, but also seeds and berries to himself.

The mating season is between March and May, July and August brings the female then one to five pups. These are self-employed, with around four months.

Threat

Japanese marten are hunted for their fur, some populations (as in Hokkaidō and Tsushima ), however, are completely protected. The living on Tsushima subspecies M. m. tsuensis is endangered according to IUCN.