Pedigree and native ranges, behavioral features of the sable, reproduction, description of the appearance, advice on care and maintenance at home, price. Probably, every person in life sometimes has such moments that he wants to somehow stand out from the public gray mass, and each of us achieves such an individuality in completely different ways. Some try to make the most original repairs in the apartment, someone buys expensive shoes of the most famous brands or cars, but there is another category of people - they choose for themselves a very unique, unlike everyone else, their smaller friend. If earlier it was not so easy to do this, then today in choosing a pet you do not have to limit yourself to keeping the windows of pet stores in your city, where everyone's favorite, and most importantly, familiar rabbits, chinchillas, parrots or kittens usually flaunt.
In our modern era, it seems possible to bring almost any animal into your home, and if your material condition allows, then probably anyway. If you wanted, for example, to show off to your friends and acquaintances your domestic tiger, crocodile, hippo or even a camel - easily, you would only have the means to acquire such an exotic zoo.
But, if you are not a fan of such radical experiments, but still would like to admire some cute exotic fluffy in your house, turn your attention to such a representative of the world fauna as the sable. This handsome man surely everyone knows, if you did not have to contemplate this animal live, then you probably met him in fur stores, no matter how sad and regrettable it may sound. So it is sable fur - one of the most expensive, since in terms of quality it occupies one of the leading positions in the fur coat market.
But today, more and more often this animal is given birth as a pet. We can say that the people who brought such a pretty miracle of nature into their home did several excellent deeds at once. Firstly, they saved at least one animal from the unpleasant fate that would have awaited him if he had fallen into the hands of poachers, and secondly, they got a real friend and loyal, funny companion. Indeed, despite the fact that it comes from an open nature, where natural selection reigns, the sable can be a pretty cute and friendly pet. If you are fortunate enough to acquire a very small individual of a sable, which will grow and develop, being constantly next to you, then he will in no way yield to the devotion and sweetness of any kitten or puppy.
But still, before you make the final decision on buying this living creature, you should get to know him better.
Home territories and origins of the animal sable
For the first time this animal became known to the world in 1758, after a few years people engaged in science approved the final version of the scientific classification, which indicated that the sable belongs to the class of mammals, the order of carnivores, the marten family, the marten genus and the species of the same name - sable.
In order to see this delightful beast in its native territories, you absolutely do not need to buy expensive train or airliner tickets, because this fluffy eccentric lives very nearby. Today, it seems possible to meet this representative of the marten family throughout Russia, where taiga forests are spread. We can say that it is the taiga regions of our Motherland that are the starting point of the natural distribution area of the sable, which moves to the very coast of the Pacific Ocean, where at least a little wooded vegetation has survived nearby.
Not very numerous sable populations are also found in the land of the rising sun, most of these animals live on the island of Hokkaido. As his permanent place of residence, he chooses mainly dense, impassable, heavily littered, taiga forests, somehow especially comfortable and cozy for these cute animals lives among wooded areas with cedar trees, spruce and fir. It is believed that it is these trees that formed a kind of black taiga, in these areas there is usually a very high humidity, you can also see a large number of windbreaks, which the sable loves so much.
Features of the behavior of a sable in open nature
Despite the not too large dimensions of the body, this animal is quite strong and has excellent agility. The sable spends most of its life period on the surface of the earth, although by nature it has the opportunity to boast of not some talent for such a craft as climbing trees. Although he has to climb trees only in case of urgent need, well, even when the desire has come to somehow have fun, because he is bored too. In the event that this representative of the weasel has any urgent matters, he will rarely go to meet them, usually he moves in medium-sized jumps, while leaving large footprints on the ground. The average length of the distance to which he will be able to jump ranges from 40 to 80 cm. If the surface of the earth is wrapped in loose snow, then this dexterous animal can gently and quietly walk along it.
These mammals with valuable fur are especially active early in the morning or with the onset of light twilight, in the daytime they prefer to lie down in some cozy and safe place, although this is by no means a golden rule for the sable. In the event that he was suddenly overtaken by a sudden outbreak of hunger, then he can go out hunting after hours, breaking his usual routine of the working day, or, if the sable simply cannot sleep, he can afford a walk.
The basic food products in the diet of these funny animals are mouse-like rodents, especially the red-backed vole and pika are to their taste. Quite often they hunt squirrels and hares, an average of several million squirrels die from the paws of a voracious sable in one year, it is he who counts the population of these forest inhabitants. If there is such an opportunity, this predator will by no means refuse any bird, for example, wood grouse and hazel grouse often end up on his dining table.
In addition to animal products, this gourmet is always happy to feast on plant foods; his favorite delicacies are pine nuts, blueberries and mountain ash. With great pleasure, he can devour the berries of lingonberry, blueberry, bird cherry, currant and even wild rose - he also needs vitamins. In principle, one can say without any remorse that this cunning sable will never remain hungry, since in its natural habitats there are plenty of foodstuffs so beloved by the sable.
Continuation of the sable genus
The ability to continue its kind in sables appears when they reach the age of approximately two to three years, and the reproductive function in these animals lasts up to 14-16 years. The beginning of the mating season for these animals falls on the first summer month. Pregnancy lasts about 8–9 months, after this period 2–7 small sables are born, but in nature, cases are described when the female gave birth to 16 puppies.
When the expectant mother already feels the approach of childbirth, she begins to design cozy, and most importantly, reliable and safe nests, choosing for this the most secluded places. Hollows of fallen trees, stony placers, and even in the rhizomes of large plants are well suited as the latter.
Description of the external appearance of the sable
If we talk about the features of the exterior of this animal, then it should be noted that the sable cannot boast of particularly large sizes, at least among its close relatives from the weasel family. The average body length of this mammal ranges from 42 to 60 cm, the caudal process grows no more than 18–20 cm. At the same time, the representatives of the female half of the genus are usually much smaller than male sables. The body weight of an adult specimen of a cute predator is approximately 1800–2100 grams.
At first glance, it may seem that this animal has a rather large head, but if you look more closely, it becomes clear that this is not at all the case. He has it in perfect harmony with the parameters of the body, has a wedge-shaped shape. The muzzle is slightly pointed, in addition, the head of the sable is decorated with relatively large, triangular ears.
Compared to the body, the limbs of the animal are quite short, thanks to this feature, its body has a characteristic curvature. But the small length of the legs does not prevent them from being very beautiful as well, because the thick fur covers them completely, even the claws and pads of the toes.
A completely different story is sable fur, it is just a feast for the eyes: soft, thick, silky, fluffy, and even painted in beautiful noble shades. We can say that the color of the sable fur is monochromatic, but, looking more closely, some changes in tone are visible. Thus, the entire surface of the body is covered with wool of a dark brown color, the fur on the limbs and caudal process is painted in brown tones, closer to black, but the head is usually presented in light brown colors. The color of the sable also differs depending on the season, so in the winter the coat becomes lighter, and in the summer, in turn, it darkens. In some individuals, in the projection of the throat, you can notice a small speck, an irregular, even somewhat crushed configuration. Such decoration is usually painted in light shades.
Keeping a sable at home
For the reason that the sable is a native of the wild, and even a predator, many people think that keeping such a pet in their home is just hellish and overwhelming work, and for this reason it is rarely brought into the house as a pet for this reason. But this is not entirely true, or rather not at all. A sable is an animal that can become an ideal pet, no less loyal and loyal than a dog and no less cute and affectionate than a kitten.
If you brought a very small sable puppy to your house, then you are very lucky, because he will very soon get used to the fact that you are his friend, and if you constantly pamper him with something tasty, and even play with him, so he will simply love you immensely.
Before bringing any animal into the house, you should take care of where it will live. It is good to make a large spacious cage for such a pupil, but he can come in it only for the time when no one is at home. So this inquisitive sly guy will poke his cute nose where it is needed and where it is impossible, while he will not do much harm to your apartment, but he can easily get crippled himself. Probably the best option as a home for a domestic sable would be a separate room, from which all fragile valuable items should be removed, as well as those with which he could be injured. In his private room, all windows and doors should always be closed so that this cunning man cannot sneak away in search of adventure.
If such a pet lives in your apartment, you do not need to worry that he will scratch the wallpaper or ruin the furniture, he is indifferent to this. But if he suddenly becomes bored, then he will definitely find something to have fun and it would be better if these were toys that you give him. Otherwise, tangled wires or a service for 12 people may be used. Little sables, and even adults, are very fond of playing with balls, and also with loud rattles. In addition, do not forget to entertain them yourself, just keep in mind that sable babies love to climb their hands over your legs, so it is better not to walk around the house in shorts, otherwise scratches cannot be avoided.
Also, you should be very careful and attentive when playing with an adult animal, because, having played, it already ceases to control its strength and emotions and can easily bite your finger or scratch it until it bleeds. Believe me, he’s not all out of malice, it’s just that sometimes it is difficult for him to stop his playfulness and passion. In the event that you notice that your friend no longer controls himself in the games, then it is better to stop playing with him and just leave him alone, so you will give the animal the opportunity to think over his behavior and, believe me, he will soon understand what exactly he was not right.
Mother nature endowed this representative of the world fauna with a rather extraordinary intellect, so he will quickly master such items as a tray as his toilet and a bathing container. The main and probably the only rule in raising your sable is no aggression, otherwise you risk losing the trust of your furry friend, and he may even become slightly uncontrollable, as he will simply start to feel fear at the sight of you.
Feeding such a peculiar friend at home is completely unproblematic. He eats liver, brains and meat with great pleasure. It is good to cook buckwheat or rice porridge for him and mix it with minced meat - this is perhaps the recipe for the main course. A favorite delicacy for a domestic sable is small rodents, which can be purchased at the market or at a pet store and spoiled your friend with such a treat from time to time.
In addition, they willingly eat eggs, fish, various vegetables, both raw and boiled, and the most favorite delicacy of sables is honey. Also, this cunning one will never refuse fruits and nuts, sometimes it is good to treat him with cedar. From time to time, you can feed your friend with vitamin and mineral complexes, especially such health-improving dressings are good to carry out at a time when there is not a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.
When you go to the dacha of this playful friend, you can safely take with you, he will run with great pleasure and play with you in the yard. If you have a small child or guests with children often come to your home, then you should not worry about your four-legged friend. He will not only not cause any harm to the children, he will happily play with them.
Sable purchase and price
On the territory of our country, you can find sellers of such animals as sable. A completely different question - where is he from? If you are seriously looking for such an amazing pet, then do not hesitate to ask the sellers about the origin of the animal, ask them to show you all the documents for the animal. After all, in front of you there may be an animal caught by poachers, and this is fraught with many problems. Firstly, the difficulty in adapting, and secondly, a native of the wild can bring serious diseases into your home that are infected in their natural habitat. In addition, sable populations are already decreasing every day, so why should you report your hand to the disappearance of such cute, funny and friendly animals?
The average cost of one sable varies from 25,000 to 70,000 rubles, the price varies depending on the age and origin of the animal.
For more information on keeping a sable at home, see below:
