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A small carnivore with a foxy face, a body about the size of a cat's and short legs. The pelage is quite dense and is a light brown with four rows of dark spots running along the body. The underparts are much lighter. The tail appears thick.
Most easily seen at Talatakely, where the guides feed them to delight the tourists.
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Head/Body Length |
40-45cm |
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Tail Length |
21-25cm |
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Weight |
2kg | 1.5kg |
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They prey on small mammals like tenrecs and rodents, also on birds, reptiles frogs and invertebrates (including the freshwater crabs) (Garbutt, 1999).
They are nocturnal, foraging on the ground and in low trees and brush.
They are pair bond and the pair maintains a territory that may be up to several hundred hectares. Boundaries are scent marked.
Mating occurs in August-September with a single infant born after a 3 month gestation. Infants are fully furred and have open eyes at birth. They walk at day 3, take meat at a month and are weaned at 2~3 months. They probably leave their parents at 1 year.
They lay down fat reserves for the winter in their tails, which can total up to 25% of the body weight.
They mark boundaries with anogenital, cheek and neck marks.
S1
Mammalia -> Carnivora -> Herpestidae (Euplerinae) -> Fossa fossana
Garbutt, N. 1999, Mammals of Madagascar, Yale University Press
IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre, viewed in July 2000, "Threatened Animals of the World", IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals
Fossa fossana
P3
