Yellow-throated marten larger than other Old World martens; males measure in body length, while females measure . Males weigh , while females weigh . The anal glands sport two unusual protuberances, which can be used to secrete a strong smelling liquid for defensive purposes. The yellow-throated marten has relatively short fur which lacks the fluffiness of the pine marten, sable and beech marten. The winter fur differs from that of other martens by its relative shortness, its harshness and its luster. It is also not as dense, fluffy and compact as that of other martens. The hairs on the tail are short
Marten was typically fashioned into mittens. The marten is still traded locally. The locals place a high value on this pelt, typically trading it for consumable goods. In the Middle Ages, marten pelts were highly valued goods used as a form of payment in Slavonia, the Croatian Littoral, and Dalmatia. The banovac, a coin struck and used between 1235 and 1384, included the image of a marten. This is one of the reasons why the Croatian word for marten, "kuna", is the name of the modern Croatian currency. A marten is depicted on the obverse of the 1-, 2-, and 5-kuna