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Fossa resting, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it&#039;s commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who&#039;s in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html" title="Fossa resting - 2, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/83671_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=emrVLq0MPNdT3rAtmw6I69M2uwo%3D" width="200" height="152" alt="Fossa resting - 2, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it&#039;s commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who&#039;s in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83674/fossa_resting_-_5_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83675/fossa_resting_-_6_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,World" /></a></figure><br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html" title="Fossa resting - 3, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/83672_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=XoppxSBny5GhV7UZtECMYNESKZY%3D" width="200" height="134" alt="Fossa resting - 3, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it&#039;s commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who&#039;s in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83674/fossa_resting_-_5_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83675/fossa_resting_-_6_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World" /></a></figure><br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html" title="Fossa resting - 4, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/83673_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=MDCT2fTaG22xvB4BFIaM15jnloE%3D" width="200" height="134" alt="Fossa resting - 4, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it&#039;s commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who&#039;s in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83675/fossa_resting_-_6_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World" /></a></figure><br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83674/fossa_resting_-_5_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html" title="Fossa resting - 5, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/83674_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=vthnxSEkX6BZ%2Bx659bw%2FNiI%2FNP0%3D" width="200" height="120" alt="Fossa resting - 5, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it&#039;s commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who&#039;s in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World" /></a></figure><br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83675/fossa_resting_-_6_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html" title="Fossa resting - 6, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/83675_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=XOXZclGJp26aHcmHm8f%2Bgz4TVNo%3D" width="200" height="98" alt="Fossa resting - 6, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it&#039;s commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who&#039;s in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83674/fossa_resting_-_5_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World" /></a></figure><br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html" title="Fossa full body, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/83034_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=waYaJkSBOlhlrkl2RP9xYKQ9GKw%3D" width="200" height="134" alt="Fossa full body, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar Before we were about to start a morning hike in Kirindy, Henriette spotted this Fossa near our lodge. I went into pursuit and was close to losing it when the Fossa bumped into other tourists, forcing it back in my direction. Note that at Kirindy, the Fossa is common to see as it is somewhat domesticated. In the wild you are unlikely to ever see one. They are widespread throughout Madagascar, yet typically local populations are small.<br /> <br /> The Fossa is Madagascar&#039;s top mammalian predator. It has an interesting taxonomy. Despite its cat-like appearance, it is believed to be more closely related to the mongoose family:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/wildlife/browse/animalia/chordata/mammalia/carnivora/eupleridae<br /> <br /> It&#039;s an iconic species typical of Madagascar, there isn&#039;t a comparable species anywhere else. <br /> <br /> The most impressive fact about the Fossa is that over 50% of their diet consists of lemurs. Surprising a lemur in the canopy, who have keen senses and are always on watch, takes an extraordinary skill. For this purpose, the Fossa has flexible ankles, which allow it to climb up and down, as well as jump between trees. Although rare, there have been reports of multiple Fossas cooperating in a hunt, evidence here:<br /> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpwM-K2TRR4<br /> Well, some may consider another fact even more impressive: the male of the Fossa at times can be considered a five-legged animal as it has an unusually large penis that may reach up to its front legs when erect. Not only is it huge, it&#039;s also spiny. The female has equally strange genitalia, it grows an enlarged, penis-like clitoris that is also spiny. This clitoris reduces in size as she ages, it is believed that during the female&#039;s first years, this masculization helps her against harassment by young males. The Fossa is the only known species in the world where this process occurs without hormones being involved.<br /> <br /> Despite being the top predator of Madagascar, one does not have to be terrified when seeing one. It&#039;s best described as an oversized, very muscular cat. Surely it can do significant damage when provoked, but it&#039;s unlikely to be a life threatening encounter. Fossas typically will not grow beyond about 10kg of weight. <br /> <br /> Now extinct, there once was a second species of Fossa: Cryptoprocta spelea, or Giant Fossa. It was almost identicial yet twice as large or heavy. The extra size likely was needed to hunt the Giant lemurs of Madagascar, which have also gone exctinct. Check out this illustration:<br /> https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simon_Bearder/publication/262067793/figure/fig3/AS:669429562081292@1536615853540/Some-subfossil-lemur-species-with-extant-Indri-one-of-the-two-largest-living-lemurs.png<br /> <br /> The Indri (in black) is the only species in the illustration still extant, and currently the largest species of lemur. <br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83032/fossa_portrait_-_1_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83033/fossa_portrait_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83035/fossa_portrait_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83036/fossa_sunbathing_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83037/fossa_sunbathing_-_closeup_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv9VOY2H61Y Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World" /></a></figure> Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,World Click/tap to enlarge Promoted

Fossa resting, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar

The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it's commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.

Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who's in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us.

Fossa resting - 2, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it's commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who's in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83674/fossa_resting_-_5_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83675/fossa_resting_-_6_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,World

Fossa resting - 3, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it's commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who's in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83674/fossa_resting_-_5_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83675/fossa_resting_-_6_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World

Fossa resting - 4, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it's commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who's in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83675/fossa_resting_-_6_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World

Fossa resting - 5, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it's commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who's in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World

Fossa resting - 6, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar The day before, we felt so accomplished for chasing that Fossa early in the morning and managing to get some decent shots of it. Although it's commonly seen at Kirindy, it still requires some effort or luck, so self-congratulations felt fitting.<br /> <br /> Until the day after, when the Fossa made it perfectly clear who's in charge of it getting seen. By simply having a little daytime beauty sleep directly next to our lodge, and barely lifting an eye after it saw us. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83670/fossa_resting_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83671/fossa_resting_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83672/fossa_resting_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83673/fossa_resting_-_4_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83674/fossa_resting_-_5_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> Observation of the previous day:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83034/fossa_full_body_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World

Observation of the previous day:

Fossa full body, Kirindy Reserve, Madagascar Before we were about to start a morning hike in Kirindy, Henriette spotted this Fossa near our lodge. I went into pursuit and was close to losing it when the Fossa bumped into other tourists, forcing it back in my direction. Note that at Kirindy, the Fossa is common to see as it is somewhat domesticated. In the wild you are unlikely to ever see one. They are widespread throughout Madagascar, yet typically local populations are small.<br /> <br /> The Fossa is Madagascar's top mammalian predator. It has an interesting taxonomy. Despite its cat-like appearance, it is believed to be more closely related to the mongoose family:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/wildlife/browse/animalia/chordata/mammalia/carnivora/eupleridae<br /> <br /> It's an iconic species typical of Madagascar, there isn't a comparable species anywhere else. <br /> <br /> The most impressive fact about the Fossa is that over 50% of their diet consists of lemurs. Surprising a lemur in the canopy, who have keen senses and are always on watch, takes an extraordinary skill. For this purpose, the Fossa has flexible ankles, which allow it to climb up and down, as well as jump between trees. Although rare, there have been reports of multiple Fossas cooperating in a hunt, evidence here:<br /> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpwM-K2TRR4<br /> Well, some may consider another fact even more impressive: the male of the Fossa at times can be considered a five-legged animal as it has an unusually large penis that may reach up to its front legs when erect. Not only is it huge, it's also spiny. The female has equally strange genitalia, it grows an enlarged, penis-like clitoris that is also spiny. This clitoris reduces in size as she ages, it is believed that during the female's first years, this masculization helps her against harassment by young males. The Fossa is the only known species in the world where this process occurs without hormones being involved.<br /> <br /> Despite being the top predator of Madagascar, one does not have to be terrified when seeing one. It's best described as an oversized, very muscular cat. Surely it can do significant damage when provoked, but it's unlikely to be a life threatening encounter. Fossas typically will not grow beyond about 10kg of weight. <br /> <br /> Now extinct, there once was a second species of Fossa: Cryptoprocta spelea, or Giant Fossa. It was almost identicial yet twice as large or heavy. The extra size likely was needed to hunt the Giant lemurs of Madagascar, which have also gone exctinct. Check out this illustration:<br /> https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simon_Bearder/publication/262067793/figure/fig3/AS:669429562081292@1536615853540/Some-subfossil-lemur-species-with-extant-Indri-one-of-the-two-largest-living-lemurs.png<br /> <br /> The Indri (in black) is the only species in the illustration still extant, and currently the largest species of lemur. <br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83032/fossa_portrait_-_1_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83033/fossa_portrait_-_2_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83035/fossa_portrait_-_3_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83036/fossa_sunbathing_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/83037/fossa_sunbathing_-_closeup_kirindy_reserve_madagascar.html<br /> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv9VOY2H61Y Africa,Cryptoprocta ferox,Fossa,Geotagged,Kirindy Reserve,Madagascar,Madagascar 2019,Winter,World

    comments (1)

  1. View Christine Young's profile
    Christine Young
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Beautiful <3 Posted 6 years ago

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The Fossa

The fossa is a cat-like, carnivorous mammal that is endemic to Madagascar. It is a member of the Eupleridae, a family of carnivorans closely related to the mongoose family. Its classification has been controversial because its physical traits resemble those of cats, yet other traits suggest a close relationship with viverrids.

Info 34 4
Similar species: Carnivorans
Species identified by Ferdy Christant
View Ferdy Christant's profile

By Ferdy Christant

All rights reserved
Uploaded Aug 28, 2019. Captured Jul 10, 2019 12:52.
country flag of Madagascar Explore Madagascar 3,111 753 0
  • NIKON D850
  • f/5.6
  • 1/50s
  • ISO1600
  • 400mm