Fossa
Cryptoprocta ferox
Madagascar's largest predator, a sleek, cat-like animal related to mongooses that hunts lemurs in the trees.
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About the Fossa
Fossas are 27 to 31 inches long, with a tail almost as long again, and weigh 12 to 19 pounds. They have short brown fur, round ears and cat-like claws. They're Madagascar's largest carnivores and its only predators that can kill the biggest lemurs. They also eat fish, birds, mice and wild pigs. A fossa can travel up to 16 miles in a day.[1]
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Cryptoprocta ferox[1]
- Size
- 27 to 31 inches long, plus a 26- to 28-inch tail.[1]
- Weight
- Females 12 to 15 pounds; males 13 to 19 pounds.[1]
- Diet
- Carnivore. Mostly lemurs, plus fish, birds, mice and wild pigs.[1]
- Habitat
- Forests.[1]
- Where it lives
- Madagascar.[1]
- Group life
- Solitary except during breeding.[1]
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2015).[2]
Fun facts
Vocabulary
- carnivore
- An animal that eats mostly meat.
- retractable
- Able to be pulled back in, like a cat's claws.
- ambush
- To hide and wait, then attack by surprise.
- predator
- An animal that hunts other animals for food.
- vulnerable
- A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.
See it in person
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Mahoney Kingdoms of the NightSee this area on the zoo's website ↗
Sources
- [1] San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Fossa.” https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/fossa (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Cryptoprocta ferox (Fosa).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/5760/45197189 (accessed 2026-10-02)
Facts last checked 2026-10-02.
