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 Madagascar and other IslandsThe Biological Wealth of an Impoverished Country: Mammals: Page 4 The Viverrid family is represented in Madagascar by mongooses, civets, and related carnivores that have evolved into eight species of three endemic subfamilies (Preston-Mafham 1991). Their ancestor is thought to have originated in Africa, and may have colonized the island at an early period. The largest carnivore on the island is the Fossa, or Fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox). A zoological oddity, it resembles the Jaguarundi, a neotropical cat, but most authorities place it either in the Viverrid family with civets (Preston-Mafham 1991) or the Herpestidae family with mongoose (Nowak 1999). The only member of its genus, it walks flat on its feet, rather than on its toes like cats (Nowak 1999). Sleek and slender, with golden reddish-brown fur, it has a small head with a blunt, dog-like muzzle, and an extremely long tail. Males weigh up to 22 pounds, with a body length of 2.6 feet and a tail of equal length, while the smaller females measure 2.3 feet and weigh about 15 pounds (Garbutt 1999). It has scent glands which discharge a strong odor when the animal is irritated (Nowak 1999). Widespread but rare in forests throughout the island, this nocturnal predator kills small lemurs, rodents and tenrecs, as well as birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and, reputedly, domestic chickens (Garbutt 1999). The Fossa often excavates animals from their burrows and can pursue fleeing prey by climbing up trees (Nowak 1999).
The first research study of the Fossa is being conducted by zoologist Luke Dollar, funded by the Earthwatch Institute. Helped by volunteers, he is radio-tracking several Fossa to determine their movements, habits and territory size. As the largest predator on the island, the Fossa plays an extremely important role in the evolution, behavior and population dynamics of lemurs and other prey animals. During the research project, several Fossa have shown extreme confidence by raiding the tents of the researchers when unoccupied, ransacking them and even chewing metal objects, leather boots, rucksacks, soap and bottles of malaria tablets (Garbutt 1999). For centuries, Fossas have been persecuted by the Malagasy, believing them to be ferocious and evil.
The Fossa gives birth to a litter of two to four young, which mature very slowly and may not be fully independent until they are about 4 years old (Garbutt 1999). This slow rate of reproduction has made the Fossa vulnerable to extinction. Along with losses from killing by the Malagasy, its forest home has been steadily whittled away by slash-and-burn agriculture. The Fossa is listed as Endangered in the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a higher category of threat than it received in the 1996 version of this list.
Gerald Durrell, renowned author and conservationist, traveled in the western forests to capture Aye-ayes for captive breeding. He encountered a Fossa venturing out during the day--an unusual behavior: "A flash of russet red caught my eye in the bushes some six feet in front of the vehicle and, suddenly, from out of the undergrowth, silent as a cloud shadow, came a Fossa which walked languidly to the middle of the road and sat down" (Durrell 1993). Remaining there, the Fossa proceeded to groom himself, apparently unaware of Durrell's presence. Then, with a sigh and a wide yawn, the Fossa crossed the road and disappeared into the forest, "his immense sickle of a tail swinging from side to side like a bellrope behind him. To have spent ten minutes with such a rare and beautiful creature was a privilege" (Durrell 1993).
The Falanouc (Eupleres goudotii), sole member of its genus and a viverrid, is the size of a domestic cat. It has dense, woolly fur and an extremely pointed and narrow muzzle. Native to humid eastern lowland forests and marsh areas and portions of the northwest, Falanoucs are active at twilight and during the night. Feeding mainly on earthworms and other invertebrates, they use their long snouts and tiny, conical teeth to catch prey in leaf litter (Garbutt 1999). The species is rare or extremely rare over most of its range and is classified as Endangered by the IUCN (Hilton-Taylor 2000). Like the Fossa, it has declined as a result of deforestation, drainage of marshes, hunting by the Malagasy, attacks by feral domestic dogs, and possibly competition with the introduced Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica).
The Malagasy Civet or Fanaloka has the scientific name Fossa fossana, which has been confused with the Fossa. Like the Fossa and Falanouc, it is the only member of its genus. Looking more like spotted civets from mainland Africa and Asia, this reddish 3-pound carnivore has rows of black spots on its back, merging into stripes toward its bushy, grayish tail. Its distribution is far more restricted than the Fossa's or the Falanouc's, being confined to eastern rainforests which have been reduced to less than 10 percent of their original size. Sheltering in tree holes or crevices, the Malagasy Civet lives in pairs and feeds on crustaceans, worms, small eels and frogs (Nowak 1999). A pair has a single young, and a captive civet lived 11 years. Hunting and trapping have also threatened the Malagasy Civet, which is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN (Hilton-Taylor 2000).
Five other viverrids, all mongooses, are native to Madagascar, and all are threatened with extinction from a loss of forest habitat and persecution. A few have very restricted distributions. They tend to be secretive unless in a secure forest reserve, and little attention has been paid to their conservation, biology or habitat requirements. Several are uniform brown or russet, while two have bold black dorsal stripes ending in white, bushy tails. One, the Brown-tailed Mongoose (Salanoia concolor), is native to the northeast rainforests, but almost nothing is known of this small carnivore (Garbutt 1999). All of the eight native civets, mongooses and related animals are listed as Vulnerable or Endangered by the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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