Mammals

The species is active both during the day and at night. Its diet consists mostly of small mammals and birds, but also includes reptiles, frogs and insects. It is a powerful predator, and has keen senses of vision, hearing and smell. An excellent climber, the fossa uses its long tail to provide balance when pursuing lemurs through the trees – in forested areas these primates can make up more than half of the prey items. The species is generally solitary, with variable home ranges - up to 20 sq. km for males and up to 12 sq. km for females - which they scent mark with secretions from their anal glands

Fossas have a very unusual mating system. A single female will exclusively occupy a site high in a tree, below which a number of males congregate. The males compete for mating rights, and over the course of a week, the female will mate with a number of different males. Once the original female has left, a new female will take over the site and, like her predecessor, mates with the males there. These ‘mating trees’ are used for many years. Mating occurs in September and October, with females giving birth to between 2 and 4 young approximately three months later. The young are blind and helpless at birth, each weighing around 100 g. Weaning occurs at around 4-5 months, but the young remain with their mother until they are 15-20 months old. Observations in captivity indicate that sexual maturity is not attained until 4 years. The lifespan of this species in the wild is not known, although it has been known to live for more than 20 years in captivity. The fossa is a top predator and therefore plays a very important role in its ecosystem through controlling the population size of its prey species.

Inhabits forests and woodland savannahs, from coastal lowlands to mountainous areas at elevations of 2,000 m.

The population has been estimated to be fewer than 2,500 individuals.

Classified as Endangered (EN C2a) on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The species is believed to have declined as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation due to logging and slash-and-burn agriculture. Only around 8 percent of Madagascar’s original forest cover remains, with the majority of this forest having been lost during the past fifty years. Fossa are increasingly being driven towards human settlements, and sometimes prey upon domestic poultry. This has led to several killings by local famers who wish to protect their livestock.

The species is on Appendix II of CITES and occurs in a number of protected reserves within Madagascar, including the Ankarana and Analamera Special Reserves, and within the Ranomafana, Masoala, Andasibe-Mantadia and Montagne d'Ambre National Parks. There has been a European Breeding Programme (EEP) for fossa since 1994, to maintain the genetic diversity of the species and safeguard against possible extinction in the wild. There are currently around 70 individuals in zoos, mostly in Europe and North America. Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) are currently studying the fossa in the Makira National Park. They are focusing in particular on fossa ecology and the possible threats from bushmeat hunters. Researchers from Duke University have been studying fossa behaviour and ecology since 1996, with support from the conservation charity Earthwatch. They are currently focusing on the competitive threat posed by the Indian civet (Viverricula indica) and introduced wild cats. The researchers are also raising awareness amongst the Malagasy people of the role that the fossa plays in controlling populations of crop pests such as rats and wild pigs, and training local people to study and conserve the species.

A recent study indicated that none of Madagascar's 46 protected areas is large enough to support a viable population of fossas (more than 500 individuals). Habitat corridors and enlarged reserves are therefore needed to ensure this species’ long-term survival in the wild. The ‘Durban Vision’ – the Malagasy government’s plan to increase Madagascar’s protected habitats from 1.7 to 6 million hectares – should protect much of the country’s unique biodiversity, including the fossa. However, when planning conservation areas, it is important to take into account the location of traditional mating trees. If these are not included in protected areas then the fossas may leave the reserves to use them during the breeding season, thus making them more vulnerable to the above threats.

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Distribution map based on data provided by the IUCN Global Mammal Assessment.