Siberian fur trade to overhunting. Instead of one sable pelt, the following was accepted as its equivalent: one fox, glutton (relative of the marten), or otter pelt; two blue-fox pelts; sixteen polar-fox pelts; or one hundred squirrel pelts. The Russian government decided the amount of other pelts that were equivalent to the sable pelt. Within forty years, almost all Siberian natives were forced into paying fur tribute to the Russians. Russian traders, hunters, and explorers reached the Pacific coastline by 1650 and were collecting fur tribute from most natives along the coast. Beyond the yasuk, the Russians had two principal ways of obtaining
Nilgiri marten head to vent and has a tail of 40 to 45 cm. It weighs about 2.1 kg. The species is reported from the Nilgiris, Kodagu up to the Charmadi ghats.Karnataka, Travancore Kerala Very little is known about the Nilgiri marten. It is diurnal, and though arboreal, descends to the ground occasionally. It is reported to prey on birds, small mammals and insects such as cicadas. Nilgiri marten The Nilgiri marten ("Martes gwatkinsii") is the only species of marten found in southern India. It occurs in the hills of the Nilgiris and parts of the Western Ghats. The Nilgiri marten is