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| Subspecies: | Unknown |
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| Est. World Population: | 2635-8626 |
| CITES Status: | NOT LISTED |
| IUCN Status: | Vulnerable |
| U.S. ESA Status: | NOT LISTED |
| Body Length: | |
| Tail Length: | |
| Shoulder Height: | |
| Weight: | |
| Top Speed: | |
| Jumping Ability: | (Horizontal) |
| Life Span: | in the Wild |
| Life Span: | in Captivity |
| Sexual Maturity: | (Females) |
| Sexual Maturity: | (Males) |
| Litter Size: | |
| Gestation Period: | |
Habitat:
The Fosa is active both arboreally and on the ground. Its diet is known to include many animals in forests it inhabits, including lemurs to the size of Diademed Sifaka Propithecus diadema (body weight about 3 kg), rodents and reptiles (Rasolonandrasana 1994, S.M. Goodman and L. Dollar pers. comm. 2007, F. Hawkins pers. comm.). Lemurs are frequently caught in trees. The gestation period is six to seven weeks after which between two and four young are born (Hawkins 2003); because infants remain with the mother for the first year, females only breed every other year. Sexual maturity is reached at three or four years of age (Hawkins 2003) and it is maximum known age in captivity is more than 20 years.
In northeast Madagascar, Fosa was camera-trapped in contiguous, non-degraded, fragmented and highly degraded forest sites; perhaps with a lower activity and probability of occupancy in contiguous, core rainforest areas (Farris et al. in review a, Z. Farris pers. comm. 2014). In degraded forest, Fosas were often photographed on trails near the forest edge, which they probably used at night to travel to villages to hunt for livestock (Farris and Kelly 2011, Farris et al. in review a).
The Fosa is solitary for the majority of the year; however, pairs have often been photographed near the breeding season (October-December). There is record of what appeared to be an adult travelling with a juvenile in May, and another of a very small Fosa (possibly an infant or very early juvenile) in September.
The Fosa is primarily nocturnal with some daytime activity throughout the year (Farris et al. in review b). There was strict nocturnality at sites with high human and dog activity, suggesting that these species may influence Fosa activity. There was more day-time activity during the peak breeding season (October-December; Farris et al. in review b).
In northeast Madagascar, Fosa was camera-trapped in contiguous, non-degraded, fragmented and highly degraded forest sites; perhaps with a lower activity and probability of occupancy in contiguous, core rainforest areas (Farris et al. in review a, Z. Farris pers. comm. 2014). In degraded forest, Fosas were often photographed on trails near the forest edge, which they probably used at night to travel to villages to hunt for livestock (Farris and Kelly 2011, Farris et al. in review a).
The Fosa is solitary for the majority of the year; however, pairs have often been photographed near the breeding season (October-December). There is record of what appeared to be an adult travelling with a juvenile in May, and another of a very small Fosa (possibly an infant or very early juvenile) in September.
The Fosa is primarily nocturnal with some daytime activity throughout the year (Farris et al. in review b). There was strict nocturnality at sites with high human and dog activity, suggesting that these species may influence Fosa activity. There was more day-time activity during the peak breeding season (October-December; Farris et al. in review b).
Range:
The Fosa is the most widely distributed of the Malagasy carnivores, found throughout western and eastern forests, although it is very scarce in most areas; it is also present, although rare, in forests on the central plateau and in spiny southern forests. It has been recorded from sea-level up to altitudes above 2,500 m asl (2,600 m asl on the Andringitra Massif; Hawkins 2003), but is rare above 1,500 m asl (Goodman 2012). It occurs above the tree-line in montane areas (Goodman 1996).
Conservation:
The Fosa is listed on Appendix II of CITES. It is present in many protected areas throughout Madagascar (such as Kirindy Forest, and Ranomafana, Masaola, and Ankarafantsika National Parks). It is the subject of a successful ex situ captive breeding programme. Better protection of little-encroached forests and awareness programmes concerning the value of this species for pest control are needed. This species is not currently protected adequately under national legislation, because there are conflicts within national legislation, as well as within and between local community laws.