The generic name Cryptoprocta refers to how the animal's anus is hidden by its anal pouch, from the Ancient Greek words crypto- "hidden", and … See more

The fossa appears as a diminutive form of a large felid, such as a cougar, but with a slender body and muscular limbs, and a tail nearly as long as the rest of the body. It has a mongoose-like head, relatively longer than that of a cat, although with a muzzle that is … See more

The fossa is active during both the day and the night and is considered cathemeral; activity peaks may occur early in the morning, late in the afternoon, and late in the night. The animal generally does not reuse sleeping sites, but females with young do return … See more

The fossa was formally described by Edward Turner Bennett on the basis of a specimen from Madagascar sent by Charles Telfair in 1833. The common name is the same as the generic name of the Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana), but they are different … See more

The fossa has the most widespread geographical range of the Malagasy carnivores, and is generally found in low numbers throughout … See more

The fossa has been assessed as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List since 2008, as its population size has probably declined by at least … See more

• ARKive – images and movies of the Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
• Watch more fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) video clips from the BBC archive on Wildlife Finder
• "Fossa" . New International Encyclopedia. 1905. See more