Japanese marten created a column of fire, and one fear about them was that if martens that have gathered together in this form appear next to a house, the house would catch on fire.。 Japanese marten The Japanese marten ("Martes melampus") is a mammal in the marten genus most closely related to the sable. It is 0.5 m (1.5 ft) in length typically, not counting a 20-cm-long tail (7.9 in), and between 1,000 and 1,500 grams (2.2 and 3.3 lb) in weight. Males are generally larger than females. The pelage varies in color from dark brown to dull yellow with a cream-colored
Marten Marten The martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in the family Mustelidae. Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in taigas, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the Northern Hemisphere. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractible claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on the species, and, in many cases, is valued by fur trappers. Results of DNA research indicate that the genus "Martes" is polyphyletic, with some studies placing "Martes americana" outside the genus and allying it with "Eira" and "Gulo", to form a