Wildlife of China are short, furry animals with short, rounded ears and thick fur, but they differ markedly in size, habit and habitat. The sable, a species of marten, is prized for its fine fur, which along with ginseng and deer antler velvet, are known as the "three treasures of Manchuria." The sable is found in Manchuria (also called the Northeast) and Altai region of northern Xinjiang. The beech marten of western China and yellow-throated marten of southern China are closely related to the sable. The Siberian weasel, known locally as the "yellow rat wolf," is the most common weasel in China. It
Marten new New World clade. The genus first evolved up to seven million years ago during the Miocene epoch. The Modern English "marten" comes from the Middle English "martryn", in turn borrowed from the Anglo-French "martrine" and Old French "martre" (Latin "martes"), itself from a Germanic source; cf. Old English "mearþ", Old Norse "mörðr", and Old High German and Yiddish "". Martens are solitary animals, meeting only to breed in late spring or early summer. Litters of up to five blind and nearly hairless kits are born in early spring. They are weaned after around two months, and leave the mother