Sable
Sable | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Mustelidae |
Genus: | Martes |
Species: | M. zibellina
|
Binomial name | |
Martes zibellina | |
Sable range
Extant
Extinct
| |
Synonyms | |
|
The sable (Martes zibellina) is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kazakhstan, China, North Korea and Hokkaido, Japan.[2]
The name "sable" originates from Slavic languages and entered Western European languages through the medieval fur trade. Sables are small, omnivorous mammals that inhabit dense forests in regions like Russia, Mongolia, and China. They are known for their luxurious fur, which ranges from light to dark brown and is softer and silkier than that of American martens. Sables resemble pine martens in size and appearance but have more elongated heads, longer ears, and shorter tails. They are skilled climbers and primarily hunt by sound and scent. Mating occurs between June and August, and litters typically have two or three offspring. Sable fur has been highly valued in the fur trade since the early Middle Ages, and its popularity has driven hunting and conservation efforts. Today, sable fur is often used to decorate clothing items, and the species has no special conservation status according to the IUCN Red List.
Etymology
The name sable appears to be of Slavic origin and entered most Western European languages via the early medieval fur trade.[3] Thus the Russian соболь (sobol') and Polish soból became the German Zobel, Dutch sabel; the French zibeline, Spanish cibelina, cebellina, Finnish soopeli, Portuguese zibelina and Medieval Latin zibellina derive from the Italian form (zibellino). The English and Medieval Latin word sabellum comes from the Old French sable or saible.[4]
The term has become a generic description for some black-furred animal breeds, such as sable cats or rabbits, and for the colour black in heraldry.
Description
Males measure 38–56 centimetres (15–22 in) in body length, with a tail measuring 9–12 centimetres (3.5–4.7 in), and weigh 880–1,800 grams (1.94–3.97 lb). Females have a body length of 35–51 centimetres (14–20 in), with a tail length of 7.2–11.5 centimetres (2.8–4.5 in).
Behaviour
Sables inhabit dense forests dominated by spruce, pine, larch, Siberian cedar, and birch in both lowland and mountainous terrain. They defend home territories that may be anything from 4 to 30 square kilometres (1.5 to 11.6 sq mi) in size, depending on local terrain and food availability. However, when resources are scarce they may move considerable distances in search of food, with travel rates of 6 to 12 kilometres (3.7 to 7.5 mi) per day having been recorded.[13]
Sables live in burrows near riverbanks and in the thickest parts of woods. These burrows are commonly made more secure by being dug among tree roots.
Sables are
They hunt primarily by sound and scent, and they have an acute sense of
Reproduction
Mating generally occurs between June and August 15, though the date varies geographically.
Sables are born with eyes closed and skin covered in a very thin layer of hair. Newborn cubs weigh between 25 and 35 grams (0.88 and 1.23 oz) and average 10 to 12 centimetres (3.9 to 4.7 in) in length.[6][7][13] They open their eyes between 30 and 36 days, and leave the nest shortly afterwards.[5][7] At seven weeks, the young are weaned and given regurgitated food.[6] They reach sexual maturity at the age of two years.[5] They have been reported to live for up to twenty two years on fur farms, and up to eighteen years in the wild.[13]
Sables can interbreed with
Distribution
In Russia, the sable's distribution is largely the result of mass re-introductions involving 19,000 animals between 1940 and 1965. Their range extends northward to the tree line, and extends south to 55–60° latitude in western Siberia, and 42° in the mountainous areas of eastern Asia. Their western distribution encompasses the
In Mongolia, sables occur in the
Because of the variable appearance of the sable in different geographic localities, there has been some debate over the exact number of subspecies that can be clearly identified. Mammal Species of the World recognises seventeen different subspecies,[16] but other recent scholarly sources have identified anything from seven to thirty.[13]
History of fur use and status
Sable fur has been a highly valued item in the fur trade since the early Middle Ages, and is generally considered to have the most beautiful and richly tinted pelt among martens. Sable fur is unique because it retains its smoothness in every direction it is stroked. The fur of other animals feels rough stroked against the grain.[17] A wealthy 17th-century Russian diplomat once described the sable as "A beast that the Ancient Greeks and Romans called the Golden Fleece."[18] Russian sables would typically be skinned over the mouth with no incision being made on the body. The feet would be retained, so as to keep as much fur as possible. Byzantine priests would wear sable for their rituals.[19]
In
According to the
According to Atkinson's Travels in Asiatic Russia,
Imperial Russian fur companies produced 25,000 skins annually, with nearly ninety percent of the produce being exported to France and Germany. The civic robes of the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London, which were worn on State occasions, were trimmed with sable.[10] As with minks and martens, sables were commonly caught in steel traps.[9] Intensified hunting in Russia in the 19th and early 20th century caused a severe-enough decline in numbers that a five-year ban on hunting was instituted in 1935, followed by a winter-limited licensed hunt. These restrictions together with the development of sable farms have allowed the species to recolonize much of its former range and attain healthy numbers.[7]
The
Because of its great expense, sable fur is typically integrated into various clothes fashions: to decorate collars, sleeves, hems and hats (see, for example the shtreimel). The so-called kolinsky sable-hair brushes used for watercolour or oil painting are not manufactured from sable hair, but from that of the Siberian weasel.
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-387-22580-7.
- ^ “sable, n., etymology of” The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. http://dictionary.oed.com/. Accessed: 11-2-2008
- ^ public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sable". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 966. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
- ^ a b c d e f Ognev, S. (1962). Mammals of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Jerusalem: Israel Program for Scientific Translations.
- ^ a b c d e f (1990) Grizimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals Volume 3. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- ^ WILD WATCH: SABLES AND THEIR ILK, Cuteness belies killers' true nature By Mark Brazil
- ^ a b c d e f g The trapper's guide: a manual of instructions for capturing all kinds of fur-bearing animals, and curing their skins; with observations on the fur-trade, hints on life in the woods, and narratives of trapping and hunting excursions by Sewell Newhouse, edited by John Humphrey Noyes, published by Oneida Community, 1867
- ^ a b c d e The Friend: A Religious and Literary Journal, Volume 32, 1859
- ^ a b General zoology, or, Systematic natural history, by G. Shaw, 1800
- ^ Catalogue of the contents of the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London, Volume 7. Printed by R. Taylor, 1853
- ^ doi:10.1644/876.1.
- ^ a b The Fur Bearing Mammals of the Soviet Union, produced by London's Hudson Bay, in association with v/o sojuzpushnina
- ^ ISBN 9780853501268
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Bigland, John (1844) A Natural History of Animals. Grigg, Elliot & Co.
- ^ ISBN 0-8014-8922-9
- ^ ISBN 1-4097-1942-1
- ^ Homans, Isaac Smith (1859) A Cyclopedia of Commerce and Commercial Navigation. Harper & Brothers
- ISBN 978-3499503450
- ISBN 9783447033398.
- ^ The Secret History of the Mongols: A Mongolian Epic Chronicle of the Thirteenth Century (Shorter Version; edited by John C. Street). Translated by de Rachewiltz, Igor. LOC § 135. 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ISBN 1-84885-023-9
- ^ Tyler, Patrick E. (2000-12-27). "Behind the $100,000 Sable Coat, a Siberian Hunter". The New York Times. p. A8.
External links
- Media related to Sable at Wikimedia Commons