The Japanese marten (Martes melampus ) is a mammal in the marten genus most closely related to the sable. It is 0.5 m (1.5 ft) in length typically, not counting a 20-cm-long tail (7.9 in), and between 1,000 and 1,500 grams (2.2 and 3.3 lb) in weight. Males are generally larger than females. The pelage varies in color from dark brown to dull yellow with a cream-colored throat.
Both males and females are territorial, and the size of each individual's territory depending on food availability. The Japanese marten is omnivorous, preferring meat from fish, frogs, and small birds and mammals, but consuming insects, fruit, and seeds when necessary.
The two confirmed subspecies of Japanese marten are:
It has been recorded in the southern Korean Peninsula, but no locality details prove a wild origin and no native population has been confirmed.
The Japanese marten is a slender, agile animal most closely related to the sable. Its pelage varies in color from dark brown to dull yellow with a cream-colored throat. Males of this species are generally larger than females.
Japanese martens live in broad-leaved forests in much of Japan's mainland and can also be found in suburban areas.
Japanese martens are solitary animals; both males and females are territorial, and the size of each individual's territory usually depends on food availability. They are active at night and during the day sleep in a den or a hollow tree.
Japanese martens are omnivores. They prefer meat from fish, frogs, and small birds and mammals, but will also consume insects, fruit, and seeds when necessary.
The breeding season of these animals occurs between March and the middle of May. They usually produce one offspring; however, they can have up to 5 kits per mating season. The young are born blind and deaf. The female nurses her kits, but by 3-4 months of age, they are able to hunt and soon leave their mother. They become reproductive mature and start to breed between 1 and 2 years of age.
The biggest threat to the Japanese marten is the logging industry, which targets its preferred habitat of well-established forests. The industry often clear cuts forests quickly destroying the marten's habitat without allowing it to recover. This practice also causes insularization of marten populations, in turn causing changes in foraging behaviors and the decrease of the genetic pool.
According to IUCN, the Japanese marten is common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
One of the biggest roles Japanese martens play in their ecosystem is seed dispersal. They also have both positive and negative impacts on human activities in their habitats. As a positive, the martens prey on Japanese hares, which lower the quality of trees by their browsing. However, their prey also can include many insects which aid agriculture.