Yellow-Throated Marten

About Yellow-Throated Marten

• The yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula) is a marten species found in forested regions across Southern and Eastern Asia.
• It is also known as ‘the kharza’.
• Habitat: It lives in diverse habitats, including coniferous and broad-leaved forests, mountain forests, tropical forests, shrublands, lowland swamps, and treeless mountainous areas.
• Distribution: The species is found across the Himalayan region and extends from Indonesia in the south to the Korean Peninsula and the China–Russia border in the north.
  • In India, it occurs mainly in the Himalayas and Northeast.
• Characteristics
  • Physical Features: It is the largest species among the Old World martens and is known for its golden-yellow throat, long tail, and scent glands used for defence.
  • Appearance: The head is black or dark brown, while the chest and throat are bright yellow or golden.
  • Size: Adult males measure between 50 and 71.9 cm in length, while the tail makes up nearly two-thirds of the total body length.
  • Behaviour: It is a fearless, highly social, diurnal, and arboreal animal that often hunts in pairs or small groups.
• Ecological Role: It functions as a mesopredator, controls rodent populations, and aids seed dispersal.
• Threats
  • Habitat fragmentation
  • Deforestation
  • Human encroachment
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern 
  • Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972