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The animal on the cover of jQuery Mobile: Up and Running is a Japanese sable (Martes zibellina brachyurus). Found on Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, it is one of the many subspecies of the sable, an inhabitant of coniferous forests across Russia and in Mongolia and northern China.

Sables are prized for their soft, silky brown fur. Their pelts have been a staple of the fur trade since the Middle Ages and were a favorite among early modern European royalty. The Russian subspecies are the most highly prized, and the animals are both commercially farmed and hunted wild today.

Sables are 12–18 inches long, not including a 5- to 7-inch tail, and weigh 2–5 pounds. Their fur ranges from light to dark brown and shows a lighter patch on the throat. The Japanese subspecies is distinguished by black markings on its legs and feet.