NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Japanese Marten
Martes melampus (Wagner, 1840)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Japanese marten (Martes melampus) in Inokashira Park Zoo, in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.
Kestrel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Japanese marten (Martes melampus) is a marten species endemic to Japan. It is native to the forested regions of Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Tsushima, Japan. It is agile, territorial, and is important in seed dispersal in northern Japan's shrublands. Its coat varies depending on the region from yellow to brown. It is least concerned in conservations status despite habitat loss from logging and forest fragmentation. Conservation efforts include legal protection and habitat restoration. Additionally, it is associated with shapeshifting and omens in Japanese folklore.
Wikipedia contributors, Japanese marten; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:28:36.460336+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Martes melampus (Wagner, 1840)
- Name authority
- (Wagner, 1840)
- Common name
- Japanese Marten
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Mustelidae
- Genus
- Martes
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderCarnivora Bowdich, 1821
- suborderCaniformia Kretzoi, 1938
- familyMustelidae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817
- subfamilyGuloninae Gray, 1825
- genusMartes Pinel, 1792
- speciesMartes melampus (Wagner, 1840)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Martes. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| American MartenMartes americana (Turton, 1806) | MustelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pacific MartenMartes caurina (Merriam, 1890) | MustelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow-throated MartenMartes flavigula (Boddaert, 1785) | MustelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Beech MartenMartes foina (Erxleben, 1777) | MustelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nilgiri MartenMartes gwatkinsii Horsfield, 1851 | MustelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| European Pine MartenMartes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) | MustelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| SableMartes zibellina (Linnaeus, 1758) | MustelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Mustela melampus Wagner, 1840 Wagner, 1840 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=621944 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3Y9W3. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.