Sable refers to the dark brown fur of a type of weasel found in northern Asia. The fur is used to make expensive coats. Sable also means black as a color in heraldry. It may also be used as a color for artist’s brushes made from the fur of the animal. Sable can refer to a fishing technique that uses nets.
As an adjective, sable describes something having dark brown fur. As a verb, it means catching fish commercially using nets.
Most commonly, sable is used as a noun referring to the animal itself, which is part of the weasel family and known for its soft, dark brown fur. For example, “The fur coat was made from luxurious sable.”
Is sable a Colour?
Sable refers to a fur with a dark brown, almost black, color. This term entered most languages through the medieval fur trade. Sable fur retains smoothness when stroked. A subspecies of bear was named for this color. Rudyard Kipling used “Isabella-coloured” in “Kim” for fawn Dobermans.
Sable originates from a Slavic word for a marten species valued for fur. Genghis Khan’s mother received a sable fur coat from his wife’s parents. It gives an elegant look to dogs.
Sable indicates dark color or black in heraldry. It is related to German “schwarz” and Spanish “negro”. Poetically it emblematizes mourning or grief. By 1800 it referred mockingly to Africans. Scientists prefer binomial nomenclature to clarify exact species.
Across its range, the sable is also called sobal, Zobel, and kuroten. This shows why scientific naming removes confusion. Sable describes brown and black coat darker on legs for multiple species. It refers more to a color pattern than a distinct color. Hair is lighter at base than tip. “Sable” now describes coat of many animals.
What kind of animal is a sable?
The sable is a carnivore of the weasel family, found in the forests of northern Asia. It is valued for its fine fur. The common name also applies to related species.
The sable resembles a cross between a cat and a weasel. It belongs to the Mustelid family, along with otters, badgers, weasels, martens, ferrets, mink, and wolverines. Its fur surpasses all others in density and luminous hues of beige, brown, gold, silver and black.
Males measure 38–56 cm in body length, females 35–51 cm. The winter coat is more luxurious than the summer one. Subspecies display variations of fur colour from light to dark brown.
Russia is the main global supplier of sable furs. Hunting once reached 200,000 individuals per year. Now the sable is protected, and fur farming has become more common.
The agile sable lives in the dense taiga. For centuries it has been a symbol of Siberia, its furs used as currency. Now it is listed as an endangered species.
Sables build nests in hollow trunks, crevices and under roots, padded with plants or fur. Their territory covers 4-30 square km, depending on habitat and food availability. They move 6.5-12 km daily within this range. Mainly active at twilight, they stay in nests during very cold weather.
Is a Russian sable a dog?
The sable is a weasel-like mammal inhabiting Russia and northern Mongolia. Sables resemble pine martens but have elongated heads and longer ears. For centuries, they have been hunted for luxurious fur, which is light to dark brown.
Sable fur now costs around $100,000. Though wild sables can be aggressive, supposedly they make playful pets when tamed. However, as omnivores needing much space and time outside cages to play, they require more attention than cats or dogs.
Sable coloring describes black-tipped hairs in a range of brown shades. This pattern occurs naturally in some dogs, like the sable German shepherd with fur mixing blond and very dark brown.
BRTs are a recently developed breed of working dog. Weighing up to 130 pounds, these Russian terriers have coarse double coats that insulate them in cold weather. Their most common color is black, followed by black and tan or blue-gray.