The Yellow-throated Marten is the largest old world marten found in the Himalayas, with a range extending from Afghanistan and Pakistan through India, Nepal, Bhutan and into south-east Asia, southern China, Taiwan, Korea and eastern Russia.
It grows to a size of 500-720mm and can weigh nearly six kilograms. It has a black and yellow coat with bright yellow coloration on its throat, and a small pointed head. Its mouth is lined with sharp teeth, adapted for its predatory lifestyle. Its tail is as big as two-third of its body length. It has a lifespan of 16 years in the wild.
Diurnal in its behaviour, it is accustomed to both terrestrial and arboreal foraging. It is omnivorous and its diet includes fruit, nectar, eggs, birds, reptiles, including lizards and snakes, and small mammals, including rodents and hare. However, it is a formidable hunter, capable of taking down prey much larger than itself and is known to hunt ungulates including Musk Deer, Spotted Deer and Goral. Jim’s Jungle Retreat Chief Naturalist Manoj Sharma has observed it hunting Rhesus Macaque and Tarai Grey Langur in Corbett Tiger Reserve. It hunts singly, in pairs and sometimes in family parties of 3-4 animals.
During summer, when the ground vegetation becomes sparse and visibility increases, it is common to encounter Yellow-throated Martens in the jungles of Corbett. This individual was seen on a jungle drive in the Jhirna Tourism Zone, located close to Jim’s Jungle Retreat.