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
Northern goshawk at is the smallest marten and is sometimes taken as prey by the goshawks, successfully ambushed and preyed on a brooding female goshawk. In Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest of Wisconsin, the main source of mortality for northern goshawks is reintroduced fishers ("Martes pennanti"), which are the largest kind of marten at and capably kill many chicks, fledglings and brooding females. In contrast, in Europe, the pine marten ("Martes martes") has only been known to prey on young goshawks still in the nest and not adults. Other mammals capable of climbing trees have been observed or inferred to predate goshawks, either mostly