The yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula chrysospila) is an endemic subspecies in Taiwan, classified as Nationally Vulnerable (NVU) in both the 2024 Taiwan Terrestrial Mammal Red List and the List of Terrestrial Protected Wildlife. The species is sparsely distributed across mid-to-high elevation mountain areas in Taiwan, with Tataka being one of the most accessible sites where sightings are most frequent, as well as one of the most popular recreation areas in Yushan National Park. Unlike other small-to-medium carnivores, yellow-throated martens exhibit cooperative hunting among males — a rare trait within the genus Martes — and display distinctive reproduction strategies, including a prolonged juvenile period and delayed sexual maturity in young males. To investigate population kinship structure and reproductive behavior, this project aimed to collect genetic samples from the Tataka marten population through live-trapping, conduct kinship analysis to understand group composition, and deploy bait stations with camera traps to record facial and body markings for individual identification, thereby tracking group membership and cohesion over time.
The study period ran from October 1, 2023 to March 31, 2026. As of January 2026, a total of 27 individuals had been captured and tagged (9 females, 18 males). Based on capture-recapture and individual identification from camera trap images, the average litter size was 2 offspring (2 ± 0.5, n = 8), with a female-to-male sex ratio of 2:1 among neonates. The mating season occurs from October to December, with females giving birth the following March or April. Cubs begin accompanying their mothers on foraging excursions as early as 3–4 months of age and remain in the maternal group until 12–22 months of age. Females may then enter a new reproductive cycle in the second breeding season, suggesting a biennial reproductive pattern with sexual maturity reached at approximately two years of age. Within a litter, subadult males appear to disperse earlier than subadult females, after which subadult males join coalitions with adult males.
Three females were documented breeding in the Tataka area across multiple years, each maintaining stable home ranges and territories. For male group composition, the mean number of days males were observed together was 134 ± 74 days (n = 9), with group membership showing potential changes before and during the breeding season. Most male groups did not remain in Tataka year-round: some arrived during the summer prior to the breeding season and departed after it ended, while others arrived just before the breeding season and stayed through the following spring. However, the majority of male groups present in Tataka during a given year were active in the area throughout the breeding season. Among previously tagged individuals, only three males had multi-year records of presence, and only one individual was consistently active in Tataka throughout the entire monitoring period.
Across this and the preceding project, behavior records and genetic data were obtained for four sets of offspring, all of which were confirmed full siblings, indicating that despite males forming coalitions during the breeding season, multiple paternity within a single litter had not been recorded. Furthermore, three male groups with first-degree kinship relationships and four groups with no kinship were identified. Groups composed of related males consistently associated for longer durations than unrelated groups. Including data from the previous project, genetic samples from 13 male groups were analyzed; of these, only the three groups identified in the current project were kin-based, suggesting that non-kin male coalitions are more common in Tataka, but kin-based coalitions may be more stable.
Citizen sighting reports showed higher frequencies in autumn and winter, which also corresponded to the season with the most frequent observations of three-individual groups. This pattern is likely related to the emergence of subadult martens born earlier that year joining their mothers in family groups, as well as the formation of male-female pairs during the breeding season. Regarding human-wildlife interactions, close encounters between martens and visitors (< 2 m) were most frequently recorded at the Tataka Visitor Center, the second parking area and cooking zone, the Paiyun Mountaineering Center, and Lulin Cabin. Lulin Cabin had the highest proportion of martens actively approaching visitors, and enhanced visitor education and management measures are recommended at these locations.
Given the biennial reproductive cycle of yellow-throated martens and current sample size limitations, continued long-term monitoring and sampling in the Tataka area is recommended to further elucidate reproductive strategies and mating systems. From a management perspective, given the notable decline in official citizen sighting reports, strengthening the promotion of the reporting system is recommended to better track trends in human-marten interactions. Additionally, in light of the high population turnover rate, continued cross-park surveillance for potential diseases, enhanced traffic speed reduction campaigns during the breeding season, and increased patrol efforts to remove illegal hunting devices are advised to minimize anthropogenic impacts on the population.