CHAPTER III 

 THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 



I 





Photo by A. 



>■ _•*.--. - c - : ^jQ§J!£ii 



FOSSA 



The only feline animal oj Aladagascar 



THE FOSSA 



N the Fossa Madagascar 



possesses an altogether 



peculiar animal. It is a 



very slender, active creature, 



with all its proportions much 



elongated. It is of a bright 



bay uniform colour, with thick 



fur. and has sharp retractile 



&^"^BBfak.»^^ -r ^^m claws. It has been desi ribed 



S&^-*> — . j0k - -S|^fcji^* , ^M8P| ^t ' as the natural connecting link 



Wl$& m. - between the Civets and the 



Cats, anatomically speaking. 

 Thus it has retractile claws, 

 but does not walk on its toes, 

 like cats, but on the soles of 

 its feet (the hind pair of which 

 is quite naked), like a civet. 

 Very few have been brought 



to captivity; indeed, the first time that one was exhibited in the Zoological Gardens was only 



ten years ago. Formerly stories were told of its ferocity, which was compared to that of the 



tiger. These tales were naturally the subject of ridicule. The fossa usually attains a length of 



about 5 feet from snout to tail, and is the largest of the carnivora of Madagascar. A fine young 



specimen lately brought to London, and in the Zoological Gardens at the time of writing, is now 



probably full grown. It is about the same 



length and height as a large ocelot, but with a 



far lunger tail, and is more slenderly built. The 



extreme activity of the fossa no doubt renders 



it a very formidable foe to other and weaker 



creatures. It has been described by a recent 



writer as being entirely nocturnal, and preying 



mainly on the lemurs and birds which haunt 



the fi irests i if Madagascar. The animal kept at 



the Zoological Gardens has become fairly tame. 



It is fed mainly on chickens' heads and other 



refuse from poultererc' shops. Apparently it 



has no voice of any kind. It neither growls, p*»»» tj i. Miiimd, f.z.s.\ [\on* fw<m„ 



roars, nor mews, though, when irritated or LARGE INDIAN CIV KT 



frightened, it gives a kind of his. like a cat. Gw " are """rnalin their ha/,i„ That thmm ten has just 



° awakened in broad daylight 



