YELLOW-THROATED MARTEN
DESCRIPTION: The common forest marten of India,
the Yellow-throated Marten is a colourful animal, easily told apart from all
other mustelids by its large size, long tail (two-thirds of the head and body
length) and colouration. It is larger than the Beech Marten and has a less
bushy tail. The fur is comparatively shorter, less dense and more lustrous. It
has a black face, crown, tail and legs. The rest of the body is made up of
shades of yellow: golden or canary yellow on the neck and upper back, brownish
yellow on the lower back up to the base of the tail, blond on the underside and
deep orange or canary colour on the neck. The last is the brightest part of the
yellow on the marten, just as in the related but geographically distinct
Nilgiri Marten, which does not have the yellow on any other part of the body. The
ears are short but prominent, black on the outside but greyish yellow inside.
M.f. flavigula is larger, with longer fur, does not have a naked skin above the
plantar pads of the hind feet, and has more hair between the plantar and carpal
pads of the forefeet than other subspecies.
BEHAVIOUR: A bold and agile animal, this marten
hunts with equal ease on trees as well as on the ground.
DISTRIBUTION: Himalayas from Jammu & Kashmir
to Arunachal Pradesh and the hill states of north–east, i.e., Assam, Nagaland,
Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya.
HABITAT: Forests ranging from coniferous to broadleaved in hilly terrain (160–2,500 m). Not found above the treeline.
Size: 45–65 cm
IUCN Status: Least Concern
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