Japanese marten
| Japanese marten | ||||||||||||
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Japanese marten ( Martes melampus ) |
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| Martes melampus | ||||||||||||
| Wagner , 1841 |
The Japanese marten ( Martes melampus ) is a species of predator belonging to the genus of the real marten . It is closely related to the sable and the European pine marten .
description
The fur color of the Japanese marten varies from yellow-brown to dark-brown, with a whitish spot on the neck. It has the typical elongated body of many martens, the limbs are short, the tail bushy. These animals reach a head body length of 47 to 54 centimeters and a tail length of 17 to 23 centimeters. With an average weight of 1.6 kilograms, males are significantly heavier than females, who only weigh around 1.0 kilograms.
distribution and habitat
Japanese martens were originally native to the three southern main Japanese islands ( Honshū , Shikoku , Kyūshū ), Tsushima and Korea . For fur production, they were also introduced on Hokkaidō and Sado . Their habitat is primarily forests, but sometimes they are also in more open terrain.
Way of life
Not much is known about the way of life of the Japanese martens. They build nests in earthworks and also on trees. They retreat there during the day to look for food at night. They are territorial animals that mark their territory with the secretion of scent glands and live solitary outside of the mating season. Like most martens, they are omnivores that eat small mammals and other vertebrates such as birds and frogs , crustaceans and insects , but also berries and seeds.
The mating season is between March and May, between July and August the female gives birth to one to five young. They are self-employed at around four months.
threat
Japanese martens are hunted for their fur, but some populations (such as on Hokkaidō and Tsushima) are entirely protected. The subspecies M. m. Living on Tsushima . tsuensis is endangered according to the IUCN .
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Further information
- Martes melampus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Abramov, A. & Wozencraft, C., 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2014.