They are found on the island of Madagascar.
They live in dry, deciduous coastal, mountain forests.
They are 2.5 feet long (8 cm) with a long tail that is another 3 feet long (90 cm). They have sharp claws that they can pull in (retract) like a cat. They can weigh more than 20 pounds (10 kg). They are light brown.
They are active mostly at night (nocturnal) or early in the morning. They hunt on the ground and in the trees. They are good climbers and can leap from tree to tree. They live alone except to mate.
They eat animals (carnivores), including lemurs, reptiles, rodents, and insects.
Their only predator is man, though young fossa are eaten by hawks or snakes.
Females are pregnant for 3 months (gestation) and have 2-4 babies.
They can live 20 years in captivity, probably less in the wild. They are listed as endangered.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Eupleridae
Subfamily: Euplerinae
Genus: Cryptoprocta
Species: Cryptoprocta ferox
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Amsel, Sheri. "Fossa" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. March 25, 2024
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