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Fossa Interesting Facts About Amazing Looking Animal
Do you want to know about one of the most unique looking animals in the world? If your answer is yes, then keep reading to know about the Fossa animal. These slender and stealthy animals consider the island of Madagascar as their native home and these animals are found only in the forests here.
A fun fact about this unique looking animal is that it belongs to the mongoose family. But this animal has a different look due to its cat-like face, dog-like snout and monkey-like long tail.
One can fill a book of stories about this unique animal. Popular stories include the belief that the smell left by it kills chickens. Apart from this, this animal can shrink the pupils of its eyes so that it disappears completely. This animal enters houses and steals children from their cribs.
Apart from this, another story tells about this animal that licks the sleeping person in such a way that the sleeping person is put into deep sleep. Once under its spell, the sleeping person is unable to wake up and it then tears its helpless victim apart. These stories may seem impossible to you but they reflect the cunning nature of this beast.
Where Are Fossa Found
Fossa are endemic animals to Madagascar and are seen in the tropical forests of the island. Apart from this, this animal likes to live high in the forest and climb from one tree to another. This unique looking animal was assigned by taxonomists as a type of civet in the Viverridae family before being placed in the Eupleridae family.
If these animals are irritated or feel frightened sometimes they excrete a very smelly substance from their sweat glands. The long tail of the Fossa helps it to hunt and move among the trees of Madagascar.
The Fossa animal loves to hunt lemurs and this animal used to hunt giant lemurs which are now extinct. Now as vulnerable animals, these animals are working hard to maintain their numbers as people there have encroached in the forests of Madagascar and taken away the beloved trees of these animals.
Scientific Name Of Fossa
The scientific name of Fossa is Cryptoprocta Ferox and Fossa is a medium-sized cat-like animal found in Madagascar. Fossa found in Madagascar belong to the carnivorous family of Eupleridae which is closely related to the mongoose family of Herpestidae. Apart from this, Fossa is also known for its long monkey-like tail, which can be the same length as its body.
Fossa looks very cute due to its cat-like appearance and long monkey-like tail. Apart from this, the small round ears and shiny muzzle of Fossa make them even more cute. Fossa is currently inhabiting only the forests of Madagascar. But there was a time when Cryptoprocta spelaea or giant Fossa lived on the island which are now extinct.
Habitat Of Fossa
There was a time when this animal was classified as a nocturnal animal but recent studies have shown that these animals hunt during the day and at night. Fossa likes to be active according to their mood. The trees present on the island of Madagascar help these animals to stay hidden.
But currently, due to the loss of their habitat, only 10% of their original habitat area is left today. Due to the fast nature of Fossa, scientists have had difficulty in researching their lifestyle. Fossa are solitary creatures so they do not live with others. But these animals interact during the mating season.
These animals use sounds like chirping, meowing and screaming to communicate. But the most interesting tool of communication in these animals is their sweat glands. During mating, the smell of these animals helps in finding a partner. Apart from this, a Fossa rubs its tail or chest on rocks, trees or ground to tell the other Fossa about it.
How Do Fossa Look Like
This animal is known for its unique look and its small shiny reddish-brown body. Apart from this, this unique animal is known for its cat-like facial features. But the shape of the Fossa's snout is similar to that of a dog. These unique animals also have sharp claws to hold plants and trees.
This animal is also known for its monkey-like long tail which helps these animals to move from one tree to another. The tail of the Fossa measures the same as their head-body length. One of the interesting facts is that Fossa is closely related to the families of mongoose and civet.
Fossa is the largest carnivorous predatory animal of the island of Madagascar. One of the cat-like features of Fossa also includes their long whiskers. Apart from this, Fossa has cat-like claws, sharp teeth which are great for eating their favorite animal lemur. Read- 26 Of The Most Colorful Birds On The Planet With Picture
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Size And Weight Of Fossa
The body length of a Fossa can be around 28 or 31 inches. Apart from this, the length of the tail of these animals is mostly present at 27-35 inches, similar to their whole body. This makes the total body length of Fossa close to 57-66 inches.
If we take the total length of a Fossa then it is mostly twice the size of a domestic cat. An adult Fossa can weigh around 7-12 kg and the female Fossa weighs slightly less than their males.
What Do Fossa Eat
The favorite source of food of Fossa is lemurs and both Fossa and lemurs have lived on the island of Madagascar for a very long time. Fossa can hunt lemurs with the help of their sharp teeth and claws no matter what its size is. Fossa prefer to eat rodents, reptiles, birds, fish and any other small mammals in their native place that they like.
Fossa may also prey on domestic animals if they come close to human habitation. This has led to tense relationships between the species and the animals are known to hunt during the day or night depending on their mood.
How Do Fossa Breed
The Fossa is a mammal species. They breed once a year during the breeding season in the months of September and October. One of their unique features is their external genitalia which is distinctive in both female fossas and male fossas. Female fossas build dens in trees, rock crevices or even underground before giving birth to their babies.
When breeding, a group of these animals may follow a ritual where several males fight to mate with the same female fossa. Apart from this, some fossas have also made their home in old termite mounds.
The normal gestation period of a fossa is about 93 days and a fossa baby stays in the den for three to four months before moving out. The babies will stay with the mother for a year or two before moving out.
How Long Do Fossa Live
A fossa can live for about 15 years in the wild and their lifespan has not been studied extensively. In the zoo, this animal can live up to the age of 20 years.
How Fast Can Fossa Run
Fossa can run at a speed of 56 kilometers per hour and these animals have features like a long tail and sharp claws that help them move easily in the forest. Scientists are having difficulty studying Fossa due to their fast speed.
How Fossa Communicate
Communication for the fossa is through the sweat glands present on their body and the fossa has sweat glands on its chest and under its tail. These scent signals are useful for the fossa to mark its territory as well as attract mates during breeding time.
Apart from this, this animal can also communicate through chirping, meowing and screaming. They use vocal communication during their mating time and the females make meowing sounds to attract the male fossa. Read- Green Kingfisher Fun Facts And information With Picture
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How Many Fossa Are There In The World
It is believed that there are less than 2,500 fossa inside Madagascar's Masoala National Park and Midongi-Sud National Park. But there are no studies to note the number of fossa in the entire world or even the exact number of fossa present on the island.
In 2008, these animals were listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. But no comprehensive study has been done to determine the exact number of these animals so they are always at risk of becoming endangered.
At present, their survival has become difficult due to human encroachment. Since the Fossa is an animal endemic to Madagascar, their numbers cannot increase if the forest area of the island is disrupted and they are not able to maintain a good diet.
Behavior Of Fossa
Being a wild animal, Fossa is quite secretive in its approach. These animals try to avoid humans as much as possible in their habitat. Also, Fossa is considered to be a non-aggressive animal in the zoo.
But the male Fossa can be aggressive and mostly during mating time. Even in the zoo, it can behave aggressively if too many of them are kept in the same enclosure.
The population number of Fossa is currently in a state of being vulnerable so it is not possible to keep them as pets. But this animal has been a part of the illegal pet trade in the past. Also, breeding Fossa is a difficult task as Fossa are loners who are native to the island of Madagascar.
Fossa Facts For Kids
1. What is a Fossa for Kids?
The Fossa is a carnivorous animal that preys on small to medium-sized animals ranging from fish to birds. Apart from this, the Fossa is considered to be one of the largest predators on the island of Madagascar. Fossa has scent glands present which emit a foul smell when irritated or frightened.
2. How did the Fossa get its name?
An alternate etymology of the name Fossa suggests a connection to another word coming from Malay which means pusa which means Malay mongoose. The Malay word pusa could have become posa for cats in Borneo and the word could have become fosa in Madagascar.
3. Why are Fossa important?
The Fossa is the top mammalian predator of Madagascar. Fossa prey on populations of many species of small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
4. What is the speed of a Fossa?
Fossa can run at a speed of 56 kilometers per hour and these animals have features like a long tail and sharp claws that help them move easily in the forest.
5. What does the Fossa eat?
Being a carnivore, this animal is an excellent hunter. The Fossa preys on small to medium-sized animals ranging from fish to birds, mice and wild boars. But lemurs are the main food source of the Fossa and the Fossa is the only predatory animal in Madagascar that is capable of killing the largest lemur species.
6. How many teeth does a fossa have?
The largest member of the family is the fossa, which has webbed feet. The dental formula of the fossa is I 3 3 C 1 1 M 3 3 − 4 M 1 1 = 32–34 for the permanent dentition. The deciduous dentition of the fossa is d I 3 3 d C 1 1 d M 3 3 = 28.
7. Where do fossas sleep?
This animal spends most of its time in trees, but also roams on the ground and hunts animals. During the day, fossas rest in a cave, hollow tree, or abandoned termite mound. Fossas are remarkably agile animals, leaping and climbing, helped greatly by their long, thin tail.
8. How long do fossas live?
This animal lives about 15 years in the wild and 20 years in the zoo.
9. Can Fossa swim?
This animal runs, leaps, walks, chases and swims. Fossa hunts at night making it nocturnal.
10. What color is Fossa?
Fossa are known for their small shiny reddish-brown bodies. Apart from this, this unique animal is known for having cat-like facial features. But the shape of the snout of Fossa is similar to that of a dog.