Fossa

The fossa is a slender, long-tailed, cat-like mammal that is endemic to Madagascar. It is a member of Eupleridae, the family of carnivorans, and closely related to the Malagasy civet. Well more than half of this carnivore's diet consists of lemurs. It will also feed opportunistically on birds, baby bush pigs, civet cats, fish, rats, eggs, snakes, frogs, and insects. Occasionally, the fossa will raid domestic chickens, small sheep, and goats. Fossas are generally solitary, except for the breeding season. Males and females will occupy territories defined by scent marking. Females will mew to attract males, and the males will howl and yowl while competing for the female. The elusive fossa is a solitary animal and spends its time both in the trees and on the ground. It is active at night and also during the day. Females give birth to an annual litter of two to four young, and adulthood is reached after about three years. Sexual maturity occurs around three to four years of age, and life expectancy in captivity is 20 years. The fossa is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List.

Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population decreasing)

Length: 2.4 ft. (Adult)

Scientific name: Cryptoprocta ferox

Gestation period: 93 days

Mass: 21 lbs (Adult)

Trophic level: Carnivorous

Lives: Madagascar