Molecular sex identification of sable and stone marten

Sable (Martes zibellina) and stone marten (Martes foina) populations are declining sharply and both species are threatened in China. Knowing the sex ratio of a population is important for long-term conservation and development of management plans for endangered marten species. We here describe the application of a novel PCR-RFLP method for sex determination in these two marten species. We developed a new designed primer pair (ZFLB1 and ZFLB2) that yields a smaller ZFX/ZFY PCR product (246 bp), which in combination with RFLP analysis, provides a simple and reliable method for gender determination in Martes zibellina and Martes foina. The method can be used on tissue and non-invasively collected hair samples for sex identification in wild marten populations, and is powerful for monitoring population status and trend of endangered martens.