CreatureData

Sable

Martes zibellina (Linnaeus, 1758)

LCLeast Concernmammals

The sable (Martes zibellina) is a mammal in the family Mustelidae, subfamily Guloninae, within the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized carnivore with an adult body mass of 1.13 kg, with reported values from 1.067 to 1.5 kg.

Sable (Martes zibellina)
Photo: Credit at source · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the sable

The sable is a terrestrial, cathemeral animal of forest habitats. Gestation lasts 30.4 days, litters average 3.13 young, and the IUCN Red List classifies the species as Least Concern, not a threatened category.

Weight
1.07 kg – 1.5 kgsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
18.4 years – 22 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Carnivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
forestsrc for Habitat
Gestation
30 days – 35 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
2.5 – 3.5src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
15 months – 2 yearssrc for Age at maturity
Active
Day and night (cathemeral)src for Active
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Photos of the sable

Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.

Sable (Martes zibellina)
Nasser-sadeghi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

1 more photo exists under a licence we cannot display: view at source.

Where does the sable live?

Not recorded

What is the sable?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

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.

The sable's fur ranges from light to dark brown. Its head is elongated with long ears. It is a skilled climber and primarily hunts 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. It has been categorised as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

From the Wikipedia article “Sable” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sable&oldid=1367427945), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the sable endangered?

The sable is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the sable classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderCarnivora
  5. familyMustelidae
  6. genusMartes
  7. SpeciesMartes zibellina (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms Martes zibellina altaica, Martes zibellina angarensis, Martes zibellina arsenjevi, Martes zibellina averini, Martes zibellina brachyura, Martes zibellina coreensis, Martes zibellina hamgyenensis, Martes zibellina ilimpiensis, Martes zibellina jakutensis, Martes zibellina jurgensoni, Martes zibellina kamtschadalica, Martes zibellina linkouensis, Martes zibellina obscura, Martes zibellina princeps, Martes zibellina sahalinensis, Martes zibellina sajanensis, Martes zibellina schantaricus, Martes zibellina schantaricus, Martes zibellina tomensis, Martes zibellina tungussensis, Martes zibellina vitimensis, Martes zibellina yeniseensis, Martes zibellina zibellina, Mustela brachyura, Mustela zibellina, Mustela zibellina alba, Mustela zibellina asiatica, Mustela zibellina baicalensis, Mustela zibellina fusco-flavences, Mustela zibellina kamtschadalica, Mustela zibellina kamtschatica, Mustela zibellina maculata, Mustela zibellina ochracea, Mustela zibellina princeps, Mustela zibellina rupestris, Mustela zibellina sylvestris, Zibellina zibellina

Other names and names in other languages (51)
  • SabeldierAfrikaans
  • سمورArabic
  • КешBashkir
  • СобальBelarusian
  • SebelinezBreton
  • БулганBuriat
  • Marta gibelinaCatalan
  • КăшChuvash
  • sobol asijskýCzech
  • der ZobelGerman
  • ZobelGerman
  • ΖιμπελίναGreek
  • ZibeloEsperanto
  • Marta CibelinaSpanish
  • SoobelEstonian
  • soopeliFinnish
  • Martre zibelineFrench
  • ZibelineFrench
  • צובלHebrew
  • CobolyHungarian
  • ՍամույրArmenian
  • ZibelinoIdo
  • SafaliIcelandic
  • ZibellinoItalian
  • クロテンJapanese
  • სიასამურიGeorgian
  • Нюхӑсkca
  • БұлғынKazakh
  • 검은담비Korean
  • НизьKomi
  • ХундузLezghian
  • SabalasLithuanian
  • SabulisLatvian
  • ЛумшоMari
  • БулгаMongolian
  • SabelMalay
  • SobelNorwegian Bokmål
  • SabelmarterDutch
  • SobólPolish
  • Soból tajgowyPolish
  • ZibelinaPortuguese
  • marta-zibelinaPortuguese
  • СобольRussian
  • КиисYakut
  • soboljSlovenian
  • СамурSerbian
  • เซเบิลThai
  • samurTurkish
  • قارا بۇلغۇنUyghur
  • צאבעלYiddish
  • 紫貂Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the sable

Other species in the same genus Martes.

CompareSable vs European pine martenSable vs Beech martenSable vs Yellow-throated martenSable vs American marten

Common questions

Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.

What kind of animal is a sable?

The sable is a mammal in the family Mustelidae, order Carnivora.

How heavy is a sable?

An adult sable weighs 1.13 kg, with reported values from 1.067 to 1.5 kg.

What does a sable eat?

The sable is a carnivore.

What habitat does the sable live in?

The sable lives in forest, where it is terrestrial and cathemeral.

Is the sable endangered?

No. The sable is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

How long does a sable live?

The sable has a lifespan of 18.38 years, with values up to 22 years reported.

How many young does a sable have?

A sable litter averages 3.13 young, with reported values from 2.5 to 3.5, after a gestation of 30.4 days.

Who named the sable?

The sable, Martes zibellina, was named by (Linnaeus, 1758).

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Sable (Martes zibellina). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/sable

MLA

“Sable (Martes zibellina).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/sable.

BibTeX
@misc{sable_2026,
  title = {Sable (Martes zibellina)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/sable},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}