With a catlike appearance, climbing and leaping skills, and an affinity for stalking and pouncing on prey, the fossa was once thought to belong to the cat family. This mongoose relative plays an important role as predator in keeping prey populations in check. The fossa keeps its balance with the help of a tail as long as its body.
Fossa
Cryptoprocta ferox
Fact File
Pronunciation: FOO-sa
Where to see them: Night Hunters
Length: 2 to 2.5 ft
Weight: 21 to 44 lbs
Lifespan: Up to 17 yrs
Habitat: Rainforest
Diet: Primarily lemurs, some snakes, pigs, tenrecs, fish, and guinea fowl
Risk Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Vulnerable)Video
Top Predator: The fossa is the largest carnivore on Madagascar.
90-Second Naturalist 
