Sable (Martes zibellina) is a mammal belonging to the Mustelidae family. This representative of the Carnivorous order and the marten family (Martes) is distinguished not only by its external beauty, but also by its incredibly valuable fur.

Description of the sable

Thanks to the beautiful, durable and rather expensive fur, the sable got its second name - “the king of wild furs” or “soft gold”. Scientists distinguish about seventeen varieties of sable with different colors and quality of wool, as well as sizes. The most valuable species is the Barguzin species (Martes zibellina printers), which is often found in the east of the Baikal coastline.

It is interesting! In the natural, natural environment, there is a white sable, which is a very rare representative of the Kunya family and lives in impenetrable taiga.

Sable-barguzin is distinguished by a rich black color of the skin, as well as soft and silky fur.. The most light-colored subspecies with coarse and short fur are represented by:

• Sakhalin subspecies (Martes zibellina sakhalinensis);
• Yenisei subspecies (Martes zibellina yenisejensis);
• Sayan subspecies (Martes zibellina sajanensis).

The Yakut sable (Martes zibellina jakutensis) and the Kamchatka subspecies (Martes zibellina kamtshadalisa) have no less valuable fur.

Appearance

The maximum body length of an adult sable does not exceed 55-56 cm, with a tail length of up to 19-20 cm. The body weight of males varies within 0.88-1.8 kg, and females - no more than 0.70-1.56 kg.

The color of the sable skin is very variable, and all its variations are characterized by special names:

• "Head" - this is the darkest, almost black color;
• "Fur" is an interesting color of very light, sandy-yellow color or fawn shades.

It is interesting! It should be noted that sable males are noticeably larger than females, by about one tenth of the total body weight.

Among other things, there are several intermediate colors, including the "collar", which very successfully combines brown tones with a dark belt in the back, as well as lighter sides and a large, bright throat patch. A predator with a wedge-shaped and pointed muzzle, has triangular ears, as well as small paws. The tail is short and covered with fluffy, soft fur. In winter, the coat covers the paw pads, as well as the claws. The molting of the animal is carried out once during the year.

Sable lifestyle

A characteristic and fairly common inhabitant of the entire Siberian taiga, it is a very dexterous and incredibly strong predator for its not too significant size. Sable is accustomed to a terrestrial way of life. As a rule, a predatory mammal chooses for its habitat the upper reaches of mountain rivers, fairly abundant thickets, as well as stone placers. Occasionally, the animal is able to climb into tree crowns. The predator moves with the help of characteristic jumps, the average length of which is approximately 0.3-0.7 m. The fur that gets wet very quickly does not allow the sable to swim.

Sable is able to leave fairly large and paired tracks, and their prints range from 5x7 cm to 6x10 cm. However, the vision of such a mammal is rather weak, and the voice data is also not up to par and, in its parameters, resembles a cat's meow. Sable is able to easily move even on loose snow cover. The greatest activity of the animal is observed in the morning hours, as well as with the onset of the evening.

It is interesting! If a burrow or nest of a sable is located on the ground, then with the onset of winter, a special long tunnel is dug in the snow for entry and exit.

For the main rest, the sable uses a nest, which is set up in various voids: under a fallen tree, in a low hollow of a tree, or under large stones. The bottom of such a space is lined with wood dust, hay, feathers and moss. In bad weather, the sable does not leave its nest, inside which the temperature regime remains stable at the level of 15-23 o C. A latrine is arranged near the nest-burrow. Every two or three years the old nest is replaced by a new one.

Lifespan

In captivity, sable is kept on average up to fifteen years.. In nature, such a predatory mammal can live for about seven to eight years, which is due to many negative external factors, the lack of prevention of the most common deadly diseases, as well as the risk of encountering many predators.

Range, habitats

At present, wild sable is quite often found throughout the entire taiga part of our country, from the Urals to the coastal zone of the Pacific Ocean, closer to the north and to the very limits of the most common forest vegetation. The predatory mammal prefers to inhabit the dark coniferous and cluttered zones of the taiga, but especially loves the age-old cedars.

It is interesting! If the mountainous and flat zones of the taiga, as well as cedar and birch dwarfs, stony placers, forest tundra, windbreaks and the upper reaches of mountain rivers are natural for sable, then the predatory animal avoids settling in barren mountain peaks.

Also, the animal is quite common in Japan, in the zone of the island of Hokkaido. To date, in the regions of the eastern Urals, a hybrid form of sable with a marten is periodically found, which is called "kidus".

Sable diet

Sable mainly hunts on the surface of the earth. Adult and experienced animals spend less time searching for food, compared to young animals. The main, most important feeds for sable are:

• small mammals, including shrews, mice and pikas, squirrels and hares, and moles;
• birds, including capercaillie and white partridges, hazel grouses and passerines, as well as their eggs;
• insects, including bees and their larvae;
• pine nuts;
• berries, including mountain ash and blueberries, lingonberries and blueberries, bird cherry and currants, rose hips and cloudberries;
• plants in the form of wild rosemary;
• various carrion;
• bee honey.

Despite the fact that sable climbs trees very well, such an animal can jump from one tree to another only if there are tightly closed tree branches, therefore plant food is limited.

natural enemies

Solely for the sake of their food, no bird of prey or animal hunts sable. However, the mammal has a couple of food competitors, which are represented by the ermine and the weasel. It is they who, along with sables, eat all kinds of mouse-like rodents, and are also able to fight for prey.

The main risk group among sables is represented by the youngest individuals, as well as too old animals that have lost speed when moving. A weakened mammal may well become a victim of almost any large-sized predators. Young sables are quite often exterminated by eagles and hawks, as well as owls and other large birds of prey.

5. BARGUSINSKY SOBOL

The Barguzin sable (Martes zibellina) is a mammal of the mustelid family, a characteristic inhabitant of the Siberian taiga. Agile and very strong predator for its size. It leads a terrestrial lifestyle, has well-developed hearing and sense of smell, eyesight is weaker. The voice is a cat-like purr.

It lives mainly in cedar and spruce-fir forests, as well as in pine and larch forests, in the upper reaches of mountain rivers, close to the ground - in elfin thickets, among stone placers, occasionally rises into tree crowns

Leads a very secretive lifestyle, avoids open spaces. Sable is a very mobile animal, climbs trees well, does not fall through even in deep snow thanks to wide, densely pubescent paws. Shelters are voids between the roots of trees, in scree, hollows of fallen trees.

The Barguzin sable is distinguished by its relatively small size and relatively dark fur. Body length with head: males 394-420 mm, females 360-410 mm; tail: males 122-155 mm, females 120-145 mm. Habitats - eastern coast of Baikal: Barguzinsky ridge from the right tributaries of the Barguzin to the watershed with the upper Angara.

Sable refers to omnivorous predators, or polyphages, mouse-like rodents predominate in the diet, often eats squirrels, attacks hares, hazel grouse and capercaillie, but in general, birds are a secondary food. Willingly feeds on plant foods, which include pine nuts, mountain ash, blueberries, lingonberries, blueberries.

Exterminating several million squirrels in the region per year, the sable steadily restrains the growth of its numbers. Of the birds, sable most often attacks hazel grouse and capercaillie, but in general, birds are a secondary food.

An individual sable hunting area is from 150-200 ha to 1500-2000 ha, sometimes more.

In the mountains it makes seasonal vertical migrations. Mass migrations of sable with a range of up to 150 km are repeated after 5-7 years in years with a lack of food, when the number of the animal decreases.

Sable is active at different times of the day, but is most active in the morning and evening. Moves by jumping. Traces - paired large prints ranging in size from 5x7 to 6x10 cm. The length of the jump is 30-70 cm.

Nesting shelters in hollows of fallen and standing trees, in stone placers, under roots. Animals reach puberty at the age of two or three years and breed up to 13-15 years. Mating in June - July, pregnancy 250-290 days with a latent phase.

Whelping occurs in April, the first half of May. In a brood there are often 3-4, less often 5 cubs. Sables are born weighing only 30 grams, at the age of 4 months they reach the size of adults. Cubs are born blind and see for 34-35 days. There are two molts - spring and autumn, ending in mid-October.

The Barguzinsky Reserve, which became the first state reserve in Russia, owes its appearance to the catastrophic reduction in the number of sable and the degradation of sable hunting.

On April 16, 1912, the government adopted a resolution in which it was recognized as necessary to extend the law on the protection of sable to Siberia as soon as possible and pointed out the urgency of allocating protected areas. The law of June 9 established a complete and universal ban on sable hunting from February 1, 1913 to October 15, 1916.

To establish such a reserve, the Barguzinsky sable expedition was organized, thanks to the work of which the Barguzinsky State Reserve was opened.

A three-year ban on sable hunting and trade in its skins, the curtailment of hunting during the civil war contributed to an increase in the number of the animal, but soon it began to fall again. In the mid-thirties, no more than 7 thousand skins were harvested throughout the country. The only place where the number of sable not only did not decrease, but even began to grow, was the territory of the Barguzinsky Reserve.

1. First of all, draw a square - it will be the head of our sable. We insert this square into our irregular hexagon.
2. Let's draw the eyes, nose, paws, ears. The contours can be made not clear, or even lightly drawn. After all, you will need to draw wool.
3. Let's now denote the differences in wool, look at the photo where there, and where I have it. I also drew a tail near the hind leg.
4. Be patient and pay special attention to drawing wool. I paint the bottom or back layers first and then I paint the top layers on top. In this drawing, I first drew the back of the body, with the next steps I drew the tummy, front paws, brisket, ears and muzzle: from the forehead to the nose. And I painted the lightest layers of wool - I left the darkest for the next step.
5. The same next step: Draw dark areas in the same way as in the previous step - from the bottom / back layer to the front / top layer of wool. I used "H" hardness pencils on my mechanical pencil and 0.5mm thick for light, 3B for dark.
See also:

Sable is a small predator. Its body length is 50 cm, and its weight is up to 1.5 kg. The sable has very beautiful dark fur, because of which it was almost exterminated. These animals were taken under world protection and, thanks to the efforts of biologists, this predator has been preserved and propagated.

This animal is ubiquitous throughout the taiga. Sable prefers mountainous, remote areas. Sable is a very brave, agile and bold animal. He is great at climbing trees. Most often walks on the ground. In a day, he can cover many kilometers. Sable moves by jumping. He jumps up to 70 cm.

The sable has poor eyesight, which compensates for its keen sense of smell and hearing. This predatory mammal can hunt in many ways: or ambush and guard the mouse, like a cat; imperceptibly approaches black grouses and partridges resting in snow. Or chasing the victim through the snow until she is exhausted.

The main food of the sable is rodents, large birds. Sable can hunt its small relatives - ermine, column. With pleasure he eats pine nuts and taiga berries - lingonberries, blueberries. The female sable brings up to 5 cubs. Babies are born weak, blind, covered with white fur. Over time, the coat changes and becomes dark. By the age of 5 months, sable cubs reach the size of an adult and begin an independent life.

A selection of photos of sables

In the dense taiga forests, a beautiful wild animal lives - sable. There are many subspecies of this animal, which differ depending on the size, color and quality of the fur, as well as the habitat.

The names of the subspecies are given precisely according to their habitat, for example: Angara, Yenisei, Kamchatka. The Barguzin sable differs from its counterparts in its relatively small size and dark skin color.

Barguzin - the owner of valuable fur

predatory an animal belonging to the weasel family. Nature endowed him with beautiful fur. Very soft and light, silky to the touch, the fur has good strength. Due to its characteristics, it is valued higher than the skins of other sable subspecies.

The color palette of fur varies from very dark to light brown. There is a light spot on the neck. The darker the color of the skin, the higher its price at fur auctions.

Sable hunting

Excellent quality and beauty fur made Barguzin sable object ruthless extermination since ancient times. Sable was hunted everywhere in Siberia, despite the declining number of individuals, therefore, in the first half of the 20th century, this valuable animal was almost gone in some taiga areas.

The situation has now changed. Implemented security activities, the fight against poaching is carried out, strict control and frequency of hunting is introduced. All these measures contribute to the fact that the disappearance of the Barguzin is no longer threatened.

Before the establishment of deep snow cover, fur-bearing animals are hunted with the help of dogs likes. After the snow falls, they switch to traps. During the season, workers of commercial farms produce 40–50 animals.

Lifestyle of the Barguzin sable

This beast is pretty strong for their small size. Agile and nimble, it moves in jumps up to 70 cm long.

The paws of the animal are wide and covered with thick fur, so it is convenient for him to wade through the snow without falling through. Sable has excellent hearing and smell. He is most active in the morning and evening.

habitats

The Barguzin sable got its name from its habitat - on Barguzinsky ridge off the coast of Lake Baikal. Now its range has expanded significantly, the animal can be found both in the Siberian taiga and in the Far East.

Barguzin prefers impassable coniferous forests, especially cedar. It settles in cluttered places where there are stone placers, dense shrubs, and fallen trees.

Under the roots of twisted trees or in their hollows, most often the beast arranges its lair. The animal keeps a cozy mink clean.

Basically, the sable moves along the ground, sometimes climbs along the trunks into the crowns of trees. He limits marks, lays its own paths there and tries to get rid of other small predators. The animal lives on the chosen site for 2–3 years, then leaves and chooses a new habitat.

reproduction

The animals are ready for mating from the age of two or three years and acquire offspring up to about 15 years. After mating, the male is close to the female and brings her prey so that she can maintain strength during pregnancy.

Cubs are born in the spring blind and helpless, 3-4 pieces per litter. The female touchingly takes care of her offspring. She desperately rushes at any enemy if the kids are in danger. Sable cubs stay in the den for up to a month and a half, then they begin to go out and explore the world around them. In the middle of summer, the grown up young growth starts an independent life.

What does the animal barguzin eat

Barguzin sable can be attributed to omnivorous mammals, although the basis of its diet is small animals:

• mice-voles;
• pika rodents;
• young hares;
• chipmunks;
• proteins.

Sometimes sable can even get wood grouse or black grouse, which spend the night in a hole under the snow. He can also taste carrion, as well as fish washed up on the shore.

Despite the predatory nature, the sable is not averse to eating pine nuts and taiga berries: lingonberries, cloudberries, blueberries. On occasion, the beast will not refuse the honey of wild bees.

But the sable itself can be caught by large owls, martens, and bears as food.

Breeding on fur farms

There are many difficulties in breeding and raising a predator in captivity. Despite compliance with all maintenance requirements, only a fourth of the females are capable of conception. The stress state of animals caused by being in cages leads to more late puberty. It is not always possible to maintain a temperature regime in enclosures close to natural weather conditions.

The quality and beauty of the skins are directly dependent on lighting, so it is necessary that all cells are illuminated by the sun, which in a large farm can be problematic. Animals should be provided with a varied balanced diet:

• meat products;
• milk;
• vegetables;
• fruits;
• vitamin supplements.

Despite the difficulties of breeding sable in captivity, this business is successfully developing and producing tangible results. In addition, there are farms that raise animals specifically for further resettlement in nature and replenishment of the population, if necessary. This measure is intended protect wild animal from complete extermination.