Sable

Last updated

Contents

Sable
Sobol bur.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Martes
Species:
M. zibellina
Binomial name
Martes zibellina
Sable area.png
Sable range
  Extant
  Extinct
Synonyms
  • Mustela zibellinaLinnaeus, 1758
  • Crocutictis zibellina

The sable (Martes zibellina) is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kazakhstan, China, North Korea and Hokkaido, Japan. [2]

The name "sable" originates from Slavic languages and entered Western European languages through the medieval fur trade. Sables are small, omnivorous mammals that inhabit dense forests in regions like Russia, Mongolia, and China. They are known for their luxurious fur, which ranges from light to dark brown and is softer and silkier than that of American martens. Sables resemble pine martens in size and appearance but have more elongated heads, longer ears, and shorter tails. They are skilled climbers and primarily hunt by sound and scent. Mating occurs between June and August, and litters typically have two or three offspring. Sable fur has been highly valued in the fur trade since the early Middle Ages, and its popularity has driven hunting and conservation efforts. Today, sable fur is often used to decorate clothing items, and the species has no special conservation status according to the IUCN Red List.

Etymology

The name sable appears to be of Slavic origin and entered most Western European languages via the early medieval fur trade. [3] Thus the Russian соболь (sobol') and Polish soból became the German Zobel, Dutch sabel; the French zibeline, Spanish cibelina, cebellina, Finnish soopeli, Portuguese zibelina and Medieval Latin zibellina derive from the Italian form (zibellino). The English and Medieval Latin word sabellum comes from the Old French sable or saible. [4]

The term has become a generic description for some black-furred animal breeds, such as sable cats or rabbits, and for the colour black in heraldry.

Description

Illustration from Brehm's Life of Animals Sables.png
Illustration from Brehm's Life of Animals

Males measure 38–56 centimetres (15–22 in) in body length, with a tail measuring 9–12 centimetres (3.5–4.7 in), and weigh 880–1,800 grams (1.94–3.97 lb). Females have a body length of 35–51 centimetres (14–20 in), with a tail length of 7.2–11.5 centimetres (2.8–4.5 in). [5] The winter pelage is longer and more luxurious than the summer coat. [6] Different subspecies display geographic variations of fur colour, which ranges from light to dark brown, with individual coloring being lighter ventrally and darker on the back and legs. [7] Japanese sables (known locally as クロテン or kuroten) [8] in particular are marked with black on their legs and feet. [9] Individuals also display a light patch of fur on their throat which may be gray, white, or pale yellow. [6] The fur is softer and silkier than that of American martens. [10] Sables greatly resemble pine martens in size and appearance, but have more elongated heads, longer ears and proportionately shorter tails. [11] Their skulls are similar to those of pine martens, but larger and more robust with more arched zygomatic arches. [12]

Behaviour

A Japanese sable, as illustrated in The Illustrated Natural History, 1865 Japsable.jpg
A Japanese sable, as illustrated in The Illustrated Natural History, 1865

Sables inhabit dense forests dominated by spruce, pine, larch, Siberian cedar, and birch in both lowland and mountainous terrain. They defend home territories that may be anything from 4 to 30 square kilometres (1.5 to 11.6 sq mi) in size, depending on local terrain and food availability. However, when resources are scarce they may move considerable distances in search of food, with travel rates of 6 to 12 kilometres (3.7 to 7.5 mi) per day having been recorded. [13]

Sables live in burrows near riverbanks and in the thickest parts of woods. These burrows are commonly made more secure by being dug among tree roots. [9] They are good climbers of cliffs and trees. [14] They are primarily crepuscular, hunting during the hours of twilight, but become more active in the day during the mating season. Their dens are well hidden, and lined by grass and shed fur, but may be temporary, especially during the winter, when the animal travels more widely in search of prey. [13]

Sables are omnivores, and their diet varies seasonally. In the summer, they eat large numbers of mountain hare and other small mammals. In winter, when they are confined to their retreats by frost and snow, they feed on wild berries, rodents, hares, and even small musk deer. [13] They also hunt ermine, small weasels and birds. Sometimes, sables follow the tracks of wolves and bears and feed on the remains of their kills. [9] They eat gastropods such as slugs, which they rub on the ground in order to remove the mucus. Sables also occasionally eat fish, which they catch with their front paws. [14]

They hunt primarily by sound and scent, and they have an acute sense of hearing. Sables mark their territory with scent produced in glands on the abdomen. [13] Predators of sable include a number of larger carnivores, such as wolves, foxes, wolverines, tigers, lynxes, eagles and large owls. [13]

Reproduction

Mating generally occurs between June and August 15, though the date varies geographically. [6] [7] When courting, sables run, jump and "rumble" like cats. Males dig metre long shallow grooves in the snow, frequently accompanied by urination. [15] Males fight each other violently for females. [6] Females enter estrus in spring. Mating can last as long as eight hours. After insemination, the blastocyst does not implant into the uterine wall of the female. Instead, implantation occurs eight months later; although gestation lasts 245 to 298 days, embryonic development requires only 25–30 days. [7] Sables birth in tree hollows, where they build nests composed of moss, leaves, and dried grass. [9] Litters number one to seven young, although litters of two or three are most common. Males assist females by defending their territories and providing food. [15]

Sables are born with eyes closed and skin covered in a very thin layer of hair. Newborn cubs weigh between 25 and 35 grams (0.88 and 1.23 oz) and average 10 to 12 centimetres (3.9 to 4.7 in) in length. [6] [7] [13] They open their eyes between 30 and 36 days, and leave the nest shortly afterwards. [5] [7] At seven weeks, the young are weaned and given regurgitated food. [6] They reach sexual maturity at the age of two years. [5] They have been reported to live for up to twenty two years on fur farms, and up to eighteen years in the wild. [13]

Sables can interbreed with pine martens. This has been observed in the wild, where the two species overlap in the Ural Mountains, and is sometimes deliberately encouraged on fur farms. The resulting hybrid, referred to as a kidus, is slightly smaller than a pure sable, with coarser fur, but otherwise similar markings, and a long bushy tail. Kiduses are typically sterile, although there has been one recorded instance of a female kidus successfully breeding with a male pine marten. [13]

Distribution

A Russian sable, as illustrated in The Trapper's Guide, 1867. The Russian variety yields the most valuable sable fur. Russian sable.jpg
A Russian sable, as illustrated in The Trapper's Guide, 1867. The Russian variety yields the most valuable sable fur.

In Russia, the sable's distribution is largely the result of mass re-introductions involving 19,000 animals between 1940 and 1965. Their range extends northward to the tree line, and extends south to 55–60° latitude in western Siberia, and 42° in the mountainous areas of eastern Asia. Their western distribution encompasses the Ural Mountains, where they are sympatric with the European pine marten. They are also found on Sakhalin. [2]

In Mongolia, sables occur in the Altai Mountains and in the surrounding forests of Lake Hovsgol, the latter being contiguous with the Trans-Baikal boreal forest region from which the most valuable sable pelts come. [2] In China, sables occur in a limited area of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In northeastern China, sables are now limited to the Greater Khingan Range. In eastern Heilongjiang, the persistence of sables is suspected in the Lesser Khingan Range. [2] Sables also occur in Hokkaido and on the Korean peninsula. [2]

Because of the variable appearance of the sable in different geographic localities, there has been some debate over the exact number of subspecies that can be clearly identified. Mammal Species of the World recognises seventeen different subspecies, [16] but other recent scholarly sources have identified anything from seven to thirty. [13]

History of fur use and status

Marie Antoinette de Lorraine-Habsbourg and Her Children by Elisabeth-Louise Vigee-Le Brun (1787)
Versailles, Musee national du Chateau et des TrianonsThe Queen is shown wearing a dress and a pouf trimmed with sable. Marie Antoinette and her Children by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun.jpg
Marie Antoinette de Lorraine-Habsbourg and Her Children by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun (1787)
Versailles, Musée national du Château et des TrianonsThe Queen is shown wearing a dress and a pouf trimmed with sable.
Sable fur skins in Milan. The price corresponds with the upper coat's abundance of glossy blackness. Sable skins Bargusinski.jpg
Sable fur skins in Milan. The price corresponds with the upper coat's abundance of glossy blackness.

Sable fur has been a highly valued item in the fur trade since the early Middle Ages, and is generally considered to have the most beautiful and richly tinted pelt among martens. Sable fur is unique because it retains its smoothness in every direction it is stroked. The fur of other animals feels rough stroked against the grain. [17] A wealthy 17th-century Russian diplomat once described the sable as "A beast that the Ancient Greeks and Romans called the Golden Fleece." [18] Russian sables would typically be skinned over the mouth with no incision being made on the body. The feet would be retained, so as to keep as much fur as possible. Byzantine priests would wear sable for their rituals. [19]

In England, sable fur was held in great esteem. Henry I was presented with a wreath of black sable by the Bishop of Lincoln, for no less than £100, a considerable sum at the time. [10] Sable fur was a favourite of Henry VIII, who once received five sets of sable fur worth £400 from Emperor Charles V. [19] Henry later decreed that sable fur was to be worn only by nobles exceeding the rank of viscount. [20] The Russian conquest of Siberia was largely spurred by the availability of sables there.[ citation needed ] Ivan Grozny once demanded an annual tribute of 30,000 sable pelts from the newly conquered Kazan Tatars, though they never sent more than a thousand, as Russia at the time was unable to enforce the tribute due to wars with Sweden and Poland. [18] The best skins were obtained in Irkutsk and Kamchatka.

According to the Secret History of the Mongols , when Genghis Khan married his first wife, Börte Ujin, his mother Hoelun received a coat of sable furs from the girl's parents. This was reportedly a very noble gift, serving not only an aesthetic need but also a practical one. [21] Shortly after, when the young Shigi Qutuqu was found wandering a destroyed Tatar camp, he was recognised to be of noble descent because of his sable-lined silk jerkin. [22] [23]

According to Atkinson's Travels in Asiatic Russia, Barguzin, on Lake Baikal, was famed for its sables. The fur of this population is a deep jet black with white tipped hair. Eighty to ninety dollars were sometimes demanded by hunters for a single skin. [9] In 1916, the first nature reserve in the Russian Empire was created—known as the Barguzin Nature Reserve—precisely to preserve and increase the numbers of Barguzin sable. Sable fur would continue to be the most favoured fur in Russia, until the discovery of sea otters in the Kamchatka peninsula, whose fur was considered even more valuable. [18] Sable furs were coveted by the nobility of the Russian Empire, with very few skins ever being found outside the country during that period. Some, however, would be privately obtained by Jewish traders and brought annually to the Leipzig fair. [9] Sometimes, sable hunting was a job given to convicts exiled to Siberia. [11]

Imperial Russian fur companies produced 25,000 skins annually, with nearly ninety percent of the produce being exported to France and Germany. The civic robes of the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London, which were worn on State occasions, were trimmed with sable. [10] As with minks and martens, sables were commonly caught in steel traps. [9] Intensified hunting in Russia in the 19th and early 20th century caused a severe-enough decline in numbers that a five-year ban on hunting was instituted in 1935, followed by a winter-limited licensed hunt. These restrictions together with the development of sable farms have allowed the species to recolonize much of its former range and attain healthy numbers. [7]

The Soviet Union allowed Old Believer communities to continue their traditional way of life on the condition that they hand over all sable skins they produced. [24] The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to an increase of hunting and poaching in the 1990s, in part because wild caught Russian furs are considered the most luxurious and demand the highest prices on the international market. [25] Currently, the species has no special conservation status according to the IUCN Red List, though the isolated Japanese subspecies M. zibellina brachyurus is listed as "data-deficient". [1]

Because of its great expense, sable fur is typically integrated into various clothes fashions: to decorate collars, sleeves, hems and hats (see, for example the shtreimel). The so-called kolinsky sable-hair brushes used for watercolour or oil painting are not manufactured from sable hair, but from that of the Siberian weasel.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European polecat</span> Species of mustelid native to Eurasia and north Morocco

The European polecat, also known as the common polecat, black polecat and forest polecat, is a mustelid species native to western Eurasia and North Africa. It is of a generally dark brown colour, with a pale underbelly and a dark mask across the face. Occasionally, colour mutations including albinos, leucists, isabellinists, xanthochromists, amelanists and erythrists occur. It has a shorter, more compact body than other Mustela species, a more powerfully built skull and dentition, is less agile, and is well known for having the characteristic ability to secrete a particularly foul-smelling liquid to mark its territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western capercaillie</span> Species of bird

The western capercaillie, also known as the Eurasian capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, cock-of-the-woods, or simply capercaillie, is a heavy member of the grouse family and the largest of all extant grouse species. The heaviest-known specimen, recorded in captivity, had a weight of 7.2 kilograms. Found across Europe and the Palearctic, this primarily-ground-dwelling forest grouse is renowned for its courtship display. The bird shows extreme sexual dimorphism, with males nearly twice the size of females. The global population is listed as "least concern" under the IUCN, although the populations of central Europe are declining and fragmented, or possibly extirpated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fur trade</span> Worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur

The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued. Historically the trade stimulated the exploration and colonization of Siberia, northern North America, and the South Shetland and South Sandwich Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marten</span> Genus of mammals

A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus Martes within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on the species; it is valued by animal trappers for the fur trade. Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in the taiga, which inhabit coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the Northern Hemisphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher (animal)</span> Species of small, carnivorous mammal native to North America

The fisher is a carnivorous mammal native to North America, a forest-dwelling creature whose range covers much of the boreal forest in Canada to the northern United States. It is a member of the mustelid family, and is in the monospecific genus Pekania. It is sometimes referred to as a fisher cat, although it is not a cat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European pine marten</span> Species of mammal in the mustelid family

The European pine marten, also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and parts of Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is less commonly also known as baum marten, or sweet marten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American marten</span> Species of North American mammal

The American marten, also known as the American pine marten, is a species of North American mammal, a member of the family Mustelidae. The species is sometimes referred to as simply the pine marten. The name "pine marten" is derived from the common name of the distinct Eurasian species, Martes martes. Martes americana is found throughout Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern United States. It is a long, slender-bodied weasel, with fur ranging from yellowish to brown to near black. It may be confused with the fisher, but the marten is lighter in color and smaller. Identification of the marten is further eased by a characteristic bib that is a distinctly different color than the body. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, with males being much larger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beech marten</span> Species of carnivore

The beech marten, also known as the stone marten, house marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List on account of its wide distribution, its large population, and its presence in a number of protected areas. It is superficially similar to the European pine marten, but differs from it by its smaller size and habitat preferences. While the pine marten is a forest specialist, the beech marten is a more generalist and adaptable species, occurring in a number of open and forest habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barguzinsky Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve in Buryatia, Russia

Barguzinsky Nature Reserve is the oldest of zapovedniks, established in 1916 for the protection of the Barguzin sable. It is located in Buryatia (Russia) on the west slope of the Barguzinsky Range, including the northeast shores of the Lake Baikal and a part of the lake itself. The area of the reserve is 2,482 km2 (958 sq mi), covering several types of boreal ecosystems, from bogs and taiga coniferous forests to subalpine meadows and mountain tundras. The landscape is postglacial, featuring rugged highlands, long river valleys and outwash, alluvial and lacustrine plains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ural (region)</span> Region of Russia

Ural is a geographical region located around the Ural Mountains, between the East European and West Siberian plains. It is considered a part of Eurasian Steppe, extending approximately from the North to the South; from the Arctic Ocean to the end of the Ural River near Orsk city. The border between Europe and Asia runs along the Eastern side of the Ural Mountains. Ural mostly lies within Russia but also includes a small part of Northwestern Kazakhstan. This is historical, not an official entity, with borders overlapping its Western Volga and Eastern Siberia neighboring regions. At some point in the past, parts of the currently existing Ural region were considered a gateway to Siberia, or even Siberia itself, and were combined with the Volga administrative the divisions. Today, there are two official namesake entities: the Ural Federal District and the Ural economic region. While the latter follows the historical borders, the former is a political product; the District omits Western Ural and includes Western Siberia instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian weasel</span> Species of carnivore

The Siberian weasel or kolonok, is a medium-sized weasel native to Asia, where it is widely distributed and inhabits various forest habitats and open areas. It is therefore listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Striped skunk</span> Species of mammal

The striped skunk is a skunk of the genus Mephitis that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese marten</span> Species of carnivore

The Japanese marten is a marten species endemic to Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-throated marten</span> Species of carnivore

The yellow-throated marten is a marten species native to the Himalayas, Southeast and East Asia. Its coat is bright yellow-golden, and its head and back are distinctly darker, blending together black, white, golden-yellow and brown. It is the second-largest marten in the Old World, after the Nilgiri marten, with its tail making up more than half its body length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarbagan marmot</span> Species of mammal

The tarbagan marmot is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in China, northern and western Mongolia, and Russia. In the Mongolian Altai Mountains, its range overlaps with that of the Gray marmot. The species was classified as endangered by the IUCN in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newfoundland pine marten</span> Subspecies of American Marten

The Newfoundland pine marten is a genetically distinct subspecies of the American marten found only on the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; it is one of only 14 species of land mammals native to the island. The marten was listed as endangered by the COSEWIC in 2001 and has been protected since 1934, however the population still declines. The Newfoundland marten has been geographically and reproductively isolated from the mainland marten population for 7000 years. The Newfoundland pine marten is similar in appearance to its continental cousin, but is slightly larger, with dark brown fur with an orange/yellow patch on the throat. Females are an average weight of 772 grams and males have an average weight of 1275 grams. The Newfoundland subspecies is also observed to inhabit a wider range of forest types than its mainland counterparts. The population characteristics suggest that the Newfoundland marten is a product of unique ecological setting and evolutionary selective factors acting on the isolated island population. The Newfoundland pine marten is omnivorous, feeding on mainly small mammals, along with birds, old carcasses, insects and fruits; it is currently found in suitable pockets of mature forest habitat, on the west coast of Newfoundland and in and around Terra Nova National Park. The Pine Marten Study Area (PMSA) is located in southwestern Newfoundland and is a 2078 km2 wildlife reserve that was created in 1973 to protect the Newfoundland Marten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver fox (animal)</span> Melanistic form of red fox

The silver fox, sometimes referred to as the black fox, or blue fox, is a melanistic form of the red fox. Silver foxes display a great deal of pelt variation. Some are completely glossy black except for a white colouration on the tip of the tail, giving them a somewhat silvery appearance. Some silver foxes are bluish-grey, and some may have a cinereous colour on the sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Russia</span>

The wildlife of Russia inhabits terrain that extends across 12 time zones and from the tundra region in the far north to the Caucasus Mountains and prairies in the south, including temperate forests which cover 70% of the country. Russia's forests comprise 22% of the forest in the world as well as 33% of all temperate forest.

The Siberian fur trade is an exchange concerned with the gathering, buying and selling of valuable animal furs that originate from Siberia. The Siberian fur trade expanded from localized trade, and Siberian fur is now traded around the world. The Siberian fur trade had a significant impact on the development of Siberia through exploration and colonization. The fur trade also precipitated a decline in the number of fur-bearing animals and resulted in Siberia being conquered by Russia.

References

  1. 1 2 Monakhov, V.G. (2016). "Martes zibellina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T41652A45213477. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41652A45213477.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Harrison, D. J., ed. (2004). Martens and Fishers (Martes) in Human-Altered Environments: An International Perspective. Springer-Verlag. ISBN   978-0-387-22580-7.
  3. “sable, n., etymology of” The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. http://dictionary.oed.com/. Accessed: 11-2-2008
  4. Wikisource-logo.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sable". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 966.
  5. 1 2 3 Walker's mammals of the world, Volume 1, Ronald M. Nowak, published by JHU Press, 1999, ISBN   0-8018-5789-9
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ognev, S. (1962). Mammals of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Jerusalem: Israel Program for Scientific Translations.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 (1990) Grizimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals Volume 3. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  8. WILD WATCH: SABLES AND THEIR ILK, Cuteness belies killers' true nature By Mark Brazil
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The trapper's guide: a manual of instructions for capturing all kinds of fur-bearing animals, and curing their skins; with observations on the fur-trade, hints on life in the woods, and narratives of trapping and hunting excursions by Sewell Newhouse, edited by John Humphrey Noyes, published by Oneida Community, 1867
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 The Friend: A Religious and Literary Journal, Volume 32, 1859
  11. 1 2 General zoology, or, Systematic natural history, by G. Shaw, 1800
  12. Catalogue of the contents of the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London, Volume 7. Printed by R. Taylor, 1853
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Monakhov, V.G. (2011). "Martes zibellina (Carnivora: Mustelidae)". Mammalian Species. 43 (1): 75–86. doi: 10.1644/876.1 .
  14. 1 2 The Fur Bearing Mammals of the Soviet Union, produced by London's Hudson Bay, in association with v/o sojuzpushnina
  15. 1 2 Tarasov, P. (1975). "Intraspecific Relations in Sable and Ermine", pp. 45–54 in C. King, ed. Biology of Mustelids: Some Soviet Research. Boston Spa: British Library Lending Division. ISBN   9780853501268
  16. Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  17. Bigland, John (1844) A Natural History of Animals. Grigg, Elliot & Co.
  18. 1 2 3 Lincoln, W. Bruce (2008) The conquest of a continent: Siberia and the Russians. Cornell University Press. ISBN   0-8014-8922-9
  19. 1 2 Davey, Richard (2008) Furs and Fur Garments. READ BOOKS. ISBN   1-4097-1942-1
  20. Homans, Isaac Smith (1859) A Cyclopedia of Commerce and Commercial Navigation. Harper & Brothers
  21. Neumann-Hoditz, Reinhold (1985). Dschingis Khan. Rowohlt Verlag GmbH, ISBN   978-3499503450
  22. Ratchnevsky, Paul (1993). "Sigi Qutuqu (c. 1180–c. 1260)". In de Rachewiltz, Igor (ed.). In the Service of the Khan: Eminent Personalities of the Early Mongol-Yüan Period (1200-1300). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 75. ISBN   9783447033398.
  23. The Secret History of the Mongols: A Mongolian Epic Chronicle of the Thirteenth Century (Shorter Version; edited by John C. Street). Translated by de Rachewiltz, Igor. LOC § 135. 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  24. Richards, Susan (2009) Lost and Found in Russia: Encounters in a Deep Heartland. I. B. Tauris & Co. ISBN   1-84885-023-9
  25. Tyler, Patrick E. (2000-12-27). "Behind the $100,000 Sable Coat, a Siberian Hunter". The New York Times. p. A8.