What Is a Russian Sable?
The Russian sable is a small mammal with a prized fur. The harvesting of sable fur is controversial, and conservationists, activists and others are keeping a close eye on populations to ensure their continued survival.
Other People Are Reading
-
Mustelids
-
The Russian sable (Martes zibellina) is part of the Mustelidae (marten) family, and Russian sables are relatives of wolverines, badgers, otters, minks, weasels and other mammals. Sables, as other martens, are small, solitary and nocturnal animals with short legs and thick fur.
Habitat
-
The Russian sable is found throughout Russia and northern Asia, particularly in northern coniferous forests or taiga. They are carnivorous and prey on small rodents, birds and fish, but they will eat vegetable foods when starving.
-
Fur
-
Sable fur is fine, lightweight and durable. These qualities, in combination with the fur's ability to provide warmth despite the low weight, make them desired for coats, hats and other apparel.
Harvesting
-
Most sable fur comes from farm-raised animals. However, dealers will pay a high premium for furs harvested in the wild, and wild Russian sable fur is among the most valued in the world.
The Future
-
The population of wild sables is low due to over-hunting and trapping. For this reason, conservationists encourage the harvesting of farm-raised sables to allow wild populations to grow.
-
References
- Photo Credit The wild animal - a marten (it is photographed in bondage) image by Sergey Galushko from Fotolia.com
