Fossa (animal)
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| Cryptoprocta ferox Bennett, 1833 |
The fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) (pronounced /ˈfuːsə/[2][3] or /ˈfɒsə/) is a mammal endemic to Madagascar. A member of family Eupleridae, it is closely related to the mongoose. It is the largest mammalian carnivore on the island of Madagascar. (The largest carnivore on Madagascar is the Nile crocodile.)
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[edit] Anatomy
Fossa males are 75–80 centimeters (29–31in.) long, plus a tail which is 70–90 centimeters (27–35in.) long; they weigh 6–10 kilograms (13–22 lb). Females are 65–70 centimeters (25–27 in.) with a similar-sized tail; they weigh 5–7 kilograms (11–15lb.).
The fossa is a very agile animal. It can leap from tree to tree and displays a squirrel-like agility. The fossa is extremely catlike in appearance and behavior; it is often likened to the clouded leopard, a feline native to southeast Asia.
[edit] Behavior and habitat
Recent observations indicate the fossa may not be as nocturnal as was once thought. The rarity of this animal likely contributed to the belief that the fossa is entirely nocturnal, but recent scientific study has found that it is active both during the day and night, a pattern of activity known as cathemerality, depending on season and prey availability.[4]
One of the biomes hosting the fossa is the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. The best place to see the fossa is in the Kirindy Forest, located about 70 kilometres north of the city of Morondava.
[edit] Lifespan
Fossa pups are born blind and toothless. They are dependent on their mother for about 1 year, and do not even leave the nest until they are four months old. The fossa does not breed until it is about four years old. It has been known to live 20 years in captivity. In the wild they are known to live up to 60 years
[edit] Phylogeny
Though most still classify and accept the fossa (along with its close relative the Falanouc) as part of the family of viverrids, some have recently reclassified it in a new family of Malagasy civets and mongooses: Eupleridae.
[edit] Diet
The fossa is a carnivore that hunts small to medium sized animals, from fish to birds. It is particularly adept at hunting lemurs, and is the predominant predator of many species, with only Madagascar's large snakes, and Nile crocodiles being larger. The fossil record of Madagascar has yielded the remains of a giant, recently extinct fossa, Cryptoprocta spelea. It was about 6 feet (1.8 m) long, 20% longer than a big modern fossa, and weighed about 17 kg. This species is believed to have preyed upon the larger, ape-sized lemurs that inhabited Madagascar until humans settled on the island.
Fossas in captivity consume between 800-1000 g of meat a day. The diet of fossas in the wild has been studied by analysing their distinctive scats. The diet varies depending on location, but does not vary by sex. In most parts of their range mammals form the most important part of their diet. Of these lemurs are regular components of their diet.[5] One study found that vertebrates comprised 94% of the diet of fossas, with lemurs comprising over 50%, as well as tenrecs (9%) lizards (9%) birds (2%) and seeds (5%). The seeds may have been in the stomachs of the lemurs eaten, or may have been taken with fruit taken for water, as seeds were more common in the stomach in the dry season. Even other large predators, such as the Narrow-striped Mongoose, were found in the scats.[6] In another site larger lemurs in the genus Eulemur and the Verreaux's Sifaka were represented in the diet in disproportionately larger numbers compared to their incidences the wild, suggesting that they are preferred prey.[7] In contrast studies conducted high above the tree-line found the diet dominated by smaller prey items, with the average prey size being 40 g, in contrast to the average prey size of 480 g in humid forests and over a 1000 g in dry deciduous forests.[5]
Prey may be obtained by hunting either on the ground or in the trees. During the non-breeding season fossas hunt individually, but during the breeding season hunting parties may be seen, and these may be pairs or later on mothers and young. One member of the group scales the tree and chases the lemurs from tree to tree, forcing them down to the ground where the other is easily able to capture them.[5]
The fossa has no natural predators, but may be consumed incidentally by the Nile crocodile.
[edit] Conservation status
The fossa is only found on the island of Madagascar (a story common to much of the native fauna). In 2000, Luke Dollar (Mustelid, Viverrid & Procyonid Specialist Group) certified there were fewer than 2,500 mature individuals in fragmented areas in continuing decline. This certification earned the fossa the status of Endangered (EN – C2a) by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Previously, the fossa was listed as 'vulnerable'.[1] The fossa is listed as a Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) Appendix II animal, which puts restrictions on its export and trade.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cryptoprocta ferox |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Cryptoprocta ferox |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Hawkins, A.F.A. & Dollar, L. (2008). Cryptoprocta ferox. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
- ^ Hartley, Karen. "Track the Fossa". Nova website. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/madagascar/expedition/fossa.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
- ^ Croke, Vicki. "The Deadliest Carnivore". Madagascar-Travel.net. http://www.madagascar-travel.net/feature04.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
- ^ Pickrell, John (2004-06-02). "Tracking the Fossa, Africa's Elusive Island Predator". National Geographic News. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0602_040602_fossa.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
- ^ a b c Goodman, Stephen (2009), "Family Eupleridae (Madagascar Carnivores)", in Wilson, Don; Mittermeier, Russel, Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 1: Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1
- ^ Hawkins, Clare; Racey, Paul (2008). "Food Habits of an Endangered Carnivore, Cryptoprocta ferox, in the Dry Deciduous Forests of Western Madagascar". Journal of Mammalogy 89 (1): 64-74. doi:.
- ^ Dollar, Luke; Jörg U. Ganzhorn & Steven M. Goodman (2007). Primates and Other Prey in the Seasonally Variable Diet of Cryptoprocta ferox in the Dry Deciduous Forest of Western Madagascar. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer US. pp. 63-76. doi:. ISBN 978-0-387-34810-0.
- Enchanted Learning. Fossa. Retrieved May 30, 2005.
- Koepfli et al., "Molecular systematics of the hyaenidae." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Mar. 2006: pgs. 603-620
[edit] External links
- ARKive - images and movies of the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
- Lioncrusher's Domain Animal Information Page. Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
- BBC clip showing fossas pull apart during mating
