Stone Marten

The stone or beech marten looks much like the pine marten but has a slightly longer tail, a more elongated, angular head, and shorter, more rounded and widely spaced ears. The nose is light peach or grey rather than dark, and the feet are less densely furred, so the paw pads show even in winter. It moves by creeping like a polecat rather than in bounds, and its heavy foot loading makes it avoid deep snow (Wikipedia, general species account).

It occurs in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan; the general account gives no detail from India. It is mainly crepuscular and nocturnal, most active on moonlit nights, and hunts on the ground, although it can climb well. It does not dig burrows, but dens in rock fissures, gaps between stones, stone buildings and tree holes. Mating is in June–July and, after a long gestation of about 236 days, 3–7 kits are born in late March–early April (Wikipedia, general species account).