Japanese marten
Specifically refers to Martes melampus, the marten species native to Japan.
The Japanese marten is a small mammal that inhabits Japanese forests.
marten (genus Martes)
General term for any arboreal weasel-like mammal of the genus Martes, not limited to the Japanese species.
In Europe, there is a relative of the marten called the pine marten.
Ferret; a domesticated mustelid, distinct from wild martens.
European pine marten
ermine; stoat (in winter coat)
sable
stone marten; beech marten
Katakana spelling is common; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling is also used, though katakana is more typical for animal names.
Kanji form; rarely used in practice.
Rarely used kanji form.
The Japanese word テン (ten) is of uncertain origin. It may be related to the Chinese word 貂 (diāo), but the exact derivation is unclear.