Although a member of the weasel family, sables look very similar to pine martens, both being about the same size. They have cute small pointed faces, with sharp little button noses, dark eyes and large pointed ears, usually held upright.
A typical full-grown sable will be about 20 inches long, including its 5inch-long, bushy tail. They are nimble little beauties. The color of most varieties is a rich-looking, glossy, dark-brown on the upper parts of their bodies and gray on their heads, with a pretty yellowish shade under their throats and underparts. However, the ones of highest value are those that are almost black on the backs and sides, with an orange or white portion under their chins.
Furriers love to receive these beautiful furs from the trappers. They make warm, snug-fitting hats for both men and women, as well as luxurious, expensive coats and jackets. A choice fur will sometimes bring the trapper enough money to live on for a year, and a well-made lady’s sable fur coat might sell for $100,000!
Sables are found in many places, including Siberia, Mongolia, China, Korea and some of the north Pacific islands. But because of the extremely long, very cold winters where it lives, the Siberian sables are the choicest of all - their fur being thicker, glossier, softer and more durable than all others. Many refer to them as “soft gold” and over 100,000 of these are bought yearly by furriers in many parts of the world who pay high prices for them.
Actually, since the entire world is plagued with troubles of many kinds, these high-priced pieces of fur clothing may not remain popular very much longer because of their high cost. Perhaps the rare sable may not be in such extreme danger of being wiped out by trappers much longer. Many of us will be happy to see that take place.
How about the sables themselves and their way of life? They do well (as long as trappers leave them alone) with a mixed diet of nuts, berries and an occasional small animal or insects, as well as birds’ eggs and fish available in shallow waters. These nimble little beauties are surprisingly clever at avoiding the many traps that are set out for them by trappers. Hopefully, if the demand for their fur does actually decrease, perhaps their numbers will increase.
The Bible verse quoted at the beginning does not mention sables, and it is not likely that Adam and Eve had coats made from them, for the Creator purposed for these nimble animals to live in colder lands than the Garden of Eden. But they were, and still are, part of His creation, in which He delights.
ML-12/12/1993