Giant Fossa

The giant fossa (Cryptoprocta spelea; Sorabe: فَساَ لاِهِبِ "fosa lehibe"), is an extinct species of carnivore from Madagascar in the family Eupleridae which is most closely related to the mongooses and includes all Malagasy carnivorans.

Etymology

Its common name comes from the word fosa (Sorabe: فُسَ; Malagasy pronunciation: [ˈfusə̥]) in Malagasy, an Austronesian language, and some authors have adopted the Malagasy spelling in English. The word is similar to posa (meaning "cat") in the Iban language (another Austronesian language) from Borneo, and both terms may derive from trade languages from the 1600s.

However, an alternative etymology suggests a link to another word that comes from Malay: pusa refers to the Malayan weasel (Mustela nudipes), or in Tagalog: pusa for any kind of cat. The Malay word pusa could have become posa for cats in Borneo.

Singular: Giant Fossa
Plural: Giant Fossas

Physical Appearance

The Giant Fossa is a Malagasy carnivoran that resembles their relative, the fossa, except that their faces are slightly different and they may have a longer tail. The fur color of the giant fossa was unknown because of the bones found.

The Giant Fossa in the Earth Responsibly world had dark brown skin and darker brown fur, which contrasts with modern fossas, which had dandelion-colored fur below.

Abilities

To catch a lemur, a Giant Fossa must outrun it, and the fossa is more nimble than even the swiftest lemur or wild hog. The Giant Fossas can only show as a tawny blur when it dashes, scampers, or jumps. The Giant Fossa is an ambush hunter that uses its forelimbs and claws to seize its prey before quickly biting it to death with its razor-sharp teeth.

Ecology

The fossa is solitary for the majority of the year; however, pairs have often been photographed near the breeding season (October–December). There is a record of what appeared to be an adult traveling with a juvenile in May and another of a very small Fosa (possibly an infant or very early juvenile) in September.

With its large size and massive jaws and teeth, giant fossa was a formidable, "puma-like" predator, and in addition to smaller prey it may have eaten some of the big, now extinct subfossil lemurs that would have been too large for normal fossa.

Behavior

Although older males in particular may try to bite, in general, fossas are not aggressive and will even allow themselves to be caressed by a zookeeper or other person while they are in the wild or in captivity.

Distribution and Habitat

Subfossil remnants of the massive fossa have been found in Holocene cave sites located in the central highlands, from Madagascar's northern tip to its extreme south along its west coast. At some sites, giant fossa and smaller remains indicative of the extant species, Cryptoprocta ferox, have been found together. However, due to a lack of accurate stratigraphic knowledge and the unavailability of radiocarbon dating on subfossil Cryptoprocta bones, it is unclear whether the two species coexisted in the same area at the same time. It is extinct on planet Earth, but it was resurrected via de-extinction on Berbania and Reinachos.

Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant
Individual Type: Nomadic
Population Trend: Stable
Population:
- Earth: 0
- Berbania: 50
- Reinachos: 500–7000
- Sawintir: 500–2500
Locomotion: Terrestrial
Habitat: Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests, Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Graveyard Vale; Mountain.
Earth:
- (World-001) Extinct: Madagascar
- (World-002) Extant (Resident): Madagascar
Berbania: Zowhringe
Reinachos: Ascunsia
Delphia: none
Sawintir: none
Agarathos: none

Extinction

The extinction of giant fossa may have changed predation dynamics on Madagascar like normal fossas.

Tamed

The giant fossa isn't already tame, you can tame fossa with eggs, meat, or berries.

However, owning an extinct species if alive, is prohibited by conservation rules in Madagascar and the majority of other nations. Their wild, territorial, and erratic temperament, as well as their need for a large territory and a diet heavy in fresh meat, made them extremely unsuitable as pets. The captive giant fossa in zoos require spacious habitats and enrichment to avoid boredom or aggression because the fossa can become aggressive when under stress.