# Sable (*Martes zibellina*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/sable  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

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. 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.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.07 kg – 1.5 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 18.4 years – 22 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest |
| Gestation | 30 days – 35 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.5 – 3.5 |
| Age at maturity | 15 months – 2 years |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Mustelidae
- genus: Martes
- species: *Martes 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*

## Common questions

### 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

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Sable (Martes zibellina). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/sable