Yellow-throated Marten

Yellow-throated Marten can be found in south-east Asia to Korea, Java, Sumatra and Borneo. There are 9 species of Marten in the world, two of which, Yellow-throated Marten and Nilgiri Marten, sometimes considered as a single species, have yellow bibs.

Martens are medium sized carnivores, only moderately elongated in shape, with wedge shaped faces and rounded ears that are larger than in some mustelids. While the bushy tail serves as a balancing rod, the large paws with haired soles and semiretractile claws are also great assets to these semiarboreal animals. Martens leap from branch to branch effortlessly, and are among the most agile and graceful members of the weasel family.

Source: The New Encyclopedia of Mammals, edited by David MacDonald, Oxford University Press.

While most of our tour group were sitting quietly and surveying the tree tops, I asked our guide to see if he could find a bird on a branch close enough to photograph. We walked around the back of the restaurant and away from the holiday crowds and he pointed open-mouthed at a close branch on which I was expecting to see a bird. The Yellow-throated Marten did not disappoint however and we were able to watch it for some 15 minutes.