marten, sable
貂 centers on a specific small, fur-bearing animal: the marten, valued for its sable fur. The two meanings are essentially the same animal in different contexts.
貂 combines 豸 (beast) with 召, which likely provides the sound. The character originally referred to a type of weasel-like animal, the marten.
The left side 豸 is the beast radical, and the right side 召 looks like a summoning. Imagine summoning a sleek marten from the forest.
For チョウ, picture a marten named Chou (pronounced 'choh') who is summoned by a call: Chou the marten -> チョウ.
Japanese marten (Martes melampus)
Tsushima marten (Martes melampus tsuensis, a subspecies of the Japanese marten)
European pine marten (Martes martes)
ermine
stone marten; beech marten (Martes foina)
Japanese sable (subspecies of sable native to Hokkaido, Martes zibellina brachyura)
sable (Martes zibellina)