Yellow Throated Marten

Indian Yellow-throated Marten or Indian Kharza or Himalayan Marten with the scientific

name Martes flavigula flavigula is the subspecies native to India. There are around nine subspecies of Yellow-throated marten existing around the world especially in the parts of South East Asia.

It falls under the family Mustelidae with the species name as Martes flavigula. The quick classification of Indian Kharza is specified below,

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Mustelidae
Genus	Martes
Species	Martes flavigula
Subspecies	Martes flavigula flavigula

Physical Structure

Indian Yellow-throated marten is a medium-sized carnivorous animal with a creamy yellow colored throat and dark brown coat containing slightly orange-yellow tint. They have a pointed muzzle and black colored long bushy tail which measures three-fourth of its body size.


The chest, lower jaw and side parts of the neck are covered with creamy white color hair. The ears are large and round placed on the wedge-shaped small head. The lower part of the body is darker grey with brown colored hair.

Indian Yellow Throated Martens have strong legs with long limbs, sharp claws and good

gripping paws which support them while climbing on the trees. These species are diurnal and at times hunt during the night hours.

To escape from their predator it climbs up the tree and produces a noxious smell. Their body length measures between 40 and 70 centimeters. Tail length varies from 35 to 45 centimeters. They weigh about 2 to 5 kilograms. They are agile, active and fast moving mammals. They run on ground with longer steps although they are small.

Subspecies of Yellow-throated Marten

The 9 subspecies of Yellow-throated marten is given in the below table:

Common name	Subspecies name	Distributed Areas
Indian Kharza	Martes flavigula flavigula	Upper Burma, Jammu & Kashmir, Himalayas, Assam, eastwards through Northern India and southeastern Tibet and southern Kham
Amur Kharza	Martes flavigula borealis	Former Manchuria, Amur and Primorsky Krais and the Korean Peninsula
Formosan Kharza	Martes flavigula chrysospila	Taiwan
Hainan Kharza	Martes flavigula hainana	Hainan island
Sumatran Kharza	Martes flavigula henrici	Sumatra
Indochinese Kharza	Martes flavigula indochinensis	Thailand, Northern Tenasserim and Vietnam
Malaysian Kharza	Martes flavigula peninsularis	Malay Peninsula and Southern Tenasserim
Javan Kharza	Martes flavigula robinsoni	Western Java
Bornean Kharza	Martes flavigula saba	Borneo

Yellow-throated marten prefer tropical, subtropical, upper forest zone and dense forests.

They occur at an altitude of 600 to 3500 m.

In India they can be spotted in various states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Other than India they can be seen in Nepal, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia, Vietnam, Bhutan, Myanmar, south China, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan and Siberia. They are solitary animals and live close to humans.

Places found

Rajaji National Park: Rajaji National park is the Indian national park located in the foothills of Himalayas with an area of about 820 square. It is located in Uttarakhand, India with an area of about 820 sq km. The fauna here comprises of Himalayan yellow throated Marten, Sloth bears, Leopard, wild boar, Sambar, Goral and Langur.

Namdapha National Park: Namdapha National park is located in the district called Changlang in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The park covers an area of 1985 sq kms and it extends from two ranges Dapha bum Range and Patkai Range with variation in altitude from 200 meters to 4571 meters. The Namdapha National park is considered as the most evergreen forest and rainy forest in the north eastern parts.

The wild life seen here are Yellow throated Marten, Leopards, Red fox, Red Panda, Eurasian otter, wild boars, Capped langurs, Small and Large Indian cavet, hog deer, sambar, Gaur, common Gibbons, Takin and bharal.

Jim Corbett National Park : The Jim Corbett National Park is located in Ramnagar in the district of Nainital, Uttaranchal, at the foothills of Himalayas. The biggest attraction in this park is the wide variety of wildlife, breathtaking natural vegetation and trekking trails. The usual way to explore the Jim Corbett's park is through Jeep or Elephant safaris. It is one of the most popular tourist places in India. It is the house of 50 species of mammals, and a variety of fauna and flora.

The most common animals found here are Yellow throated Marten, Leopard, Deer, Royal Bengal tiger, Indian elephants, Para or Hog Deer, Barking deer, Wild boar,Chital, etc.

Valley of Flowers National Park: Valley of Flowers National Park is located in Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, India.

The park covers an area of about 88 square kilometers. The wild life seen here are Yellow throated Marten, Leopard, Musk deer, Brown bear, Himalayan Mouse-hare, Himalayan Black bear, bharal, Himalayan Tahr, etc.

Food habits

Indian Kharza is an omnivorous species which feed on both plants and animals. Their food variety includes insects, rodents, bird eggs, snakes, lizards, squirrels, small birds, frogs, mice, pheasants, muntjacs fawns, young spotted deer, panda cubs, roe deer and goral. Herbivorous food includes fruits, berries, nectar, honey, fleshy fruits.

Mating Behaviour

The mating season falls during the months of February to March and June to August. The martens are solitary except during the courtship. The gestation period lasts for about 200 to 220 days (7 - 8 months). They give birth to two or five cubs in the caves or hollow trees. The new born cub is blind during its birth. The young ones open their eyes on the third day of its birth and begin to walk on the fourth day.

The female marten wean their child for 3 to 4 months and the cubs stay with their mother until 1 year. The lifespan ranges from 14 -15 years.

Population of Yellow-throated Marten in India

The studies on the population estimate reveal that the numbers of Indian Kharza are stable over the years. Since International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has classified Indian Kharza as 'Least Concern' species their exact population is unknown. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has listed Indian Yellow-throated marten in Appendix III.

Threats to Yellow-throated Marten There is no major threat encountered as far as Yellow - throated marten is concerned.

The only minor threat they face is with their predators like large carnivores and eagles. Occasionally they are killed by humans for their pelt. The population status seems stable though the death of Yellow-throated marten happens because of the above stated reasons.

Conservation efforts in India

Protected areas are developed in various ranges in order to protect yellow-throated marten from different threats. This species is listed under CITES Appendix III (India) and Part II Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Wildlife Protection Law Act in order to ban the illegal trade.

Interesting Facts

• This species is the largest marten in the World, with a tail measuring half its body length.
• They secrete strong unpleasant smelling liquid for its defensive purpose.
• They can leap upto 8 to 9 meters between branches.