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Some federal rules apply

Fossa

Cryptoprocta ferox

Also known as Fosssoxa

Mammals › Cats, dogs and other carnivores (Carnivora) › Eupleridae (Fossa and Malagasy carnivores)

The fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox; FOSS-ə or FOO-sə; Malagasy: [ˈfusə̥]) is a slender, long-tailed, cat-like mammal that is endemic to Madagascar.

Zoos & aquariums

Experience: Advanced

FamilyFossa and Malagasy carnivores

Record lifespan23.1 years

Adult weight20.9 lb

Kept byZoos & aquariums

Warnings

Mostly kept by zoos, public aquariums, sanctuaries or licensed facilities. The guide below describes professional husbandry so you can understand the animal, not as encouragement to keep one privately.

Care guide

Group care guide

Mongooses and meerkats

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Savanna and forest. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Secure enclosures with deep digging substrate, heat lamps and dens.

Sources 48 177

Diet

Insectivore and carnivore diets with insects.

Sources 48 177

Health watch

Most mongoose genera, including meerkats, are federally injurious wildlife.

Sources 48 177

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It is a member of the carnivoran family Eupleridae. The fossa is the largest mammalian carnivore on Madagascar and has been compared to a small cougar, as it has convergently evolved many cat-like features.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Fossa (animal)” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	The fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox; or; ) is a slender, long-tailed, cat-like mammal that is endemic to Madagascar. It is a member of the carnivoran family Eupleridae. The fossa is the largest mammalian carnivore on Madagascar and has been compared to a small cougar, as it has convergently evolved many cat-like features. Adults have a head-body length of 70–80 cm and weigh between 5.5 and 8.6 kg, with the males larger than the females. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Fossas inhabit all forested areas on the island of Madagascar. — Animal Diversity Web
Social life and communication	Fossas have keen vision, hearing, and smell. — Animal Diversity Web
Wild diet	Fossas are the largest mammalian carnivores on the island of Madagascar. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	Fossas are secretive and primarily nocturnal or crepuscular, though they are occasionally observed during the day. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	Aggression among males may occur during the mating season, including threatening calls and postures, which lead to fights where each contestant tries to bite the other. — Animal Diversity Web
Lifespan	While the life span of fossas has not been studied in the wild, one specimen lived twenty years in captivity (Kohncke & Leonhardt 1986). — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	Fossas are cat-like in appearance, with blunt noses and large, forward-facing eyes. — Animal Diversity Web
History and naming	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 species. Because of shared physical traits with viverrids, mongooses, and Felidae, its classification has been controversial. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Conservation	Fossas are widely hunted, and their habitat is constantly being enroached upon by humans. — Animal Diversity Web

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 90°F (up to 93°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 58°F (down to 52°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	70–79°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	71–78% on average (driest month about 66%)
Rainfall	about 995 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons

Measured at 7 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

Profile

Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.

History

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 species. Because of shared physical traits with viverrids, mongooses, and Felidae, its classification has been controversial.

Data and studies

Researched care notes

Findings checked against veterinary, zoo, welfare, keeper and peer-reviewed sources. Air, basking-surface and water temperatures are kept separate, and where sources disagree both are shown. “Study” notes report what a paper measured, not a universal rule.

Fossa (species)

Individual housing is usual unless carefully managed introductions succeed; retain separate-housing capacity.¹
The manual does not recommend fossa for mixed-species exhibits.¹
Feeding ecology is predominantly opportunistic predation on vertebrates, with some invertebrates.¹

Mongoose, meerkat, and fossa

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Maximum recorded lifespan

Highest reported23.1years

AnAge 16223.1

Myhrvold et al. 16323.1

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.

Typical adult weight

Average of sources20.9lb

AnAge 16220.9

Myhrvold et al. 16320.9

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Litter size

Average of sources3young

AnAge 1623

Myhrvold et al. 1633

Average per litter or clutch.

Gestation

Average of sources90.5days

AnAge 16290

Myhrvold et al. 16391

Female maturity

Average of sources4.1years

AnAge 1624.1

Myhrvold et al. 1634.1

Veterinary & husbandry research

Selected hematologic and biochemical values in subadult and adult captive fossas (Cryptoprocta ferox) Langer S et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2013
Gonadal activity in male and female captive fossas (Cryptoprocta ferox) during the mating season Vogler BR et al., Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene 2009
Transient masculinization in the fossa, Cryptoprocta ferox (Carnivora, Viverridae) Hawkins CE et al., Biology of reproduction 2002
Investigating the Welfare of Zoo-Housed Cryptoprocta ferox: Behavioral Observations and Hormonal Profiling Marliani G et al., Zoo biology 2025

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 6 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

Some federal rules apply

CITES Appendix II. Appendix II: international trade needs CITES export permits. CITES doesn't restrict buying a captive-bred animal within the U.S.; keep your purchase records. 173 186
USDA Animal Welfare Act. Keeping a pet for yourself doesn't need a federal license. Dealers (including many breeders who sell wholesale or sight-unseen) and exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) generally need a USDA license and inspections; some small-scale breeders and retail sellers are exempt. 184

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Animal Welfare Act standards

Warm-blooded animals not covered elsewhere (Subpart F). Applies to USDA-licensed or registered dealers, exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) and research facilities. Private pet owners are not covered. These are legal minimums, not best care; the species care on this page goes further.

Facilities must be structurally sound and strong enough for the species, with reliable power and water, protected food storage and proper waste disposal. §3.125
Indoors: temperature regulated to protect from extremes, adequate ventilation without drafts, and lighting suited to the species that protects animals from excessive light. §3.126
Outdoors: shade from overheating sun, shelter suited to the local climate, and drainage. Animals must be acclimated before facing climate extremes. §3.127
Outdoor facilities need a perimeter fence at least 8 ft high for potentially dangerous animals (large cats, bears, wolves, rhinoceros, elephants) and 6 ft for others, at least 3 ft from the enclosure, unless USDA approves otherwise. §3.127
Space must allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement. Poor condition, stress or abnormal behavior can show the space is inadequate. §3.128
Food must be wholesome, palatable and of enough quantity and nutritive value for the species, age and condition, fed at least once a day except during hibernation, normal fasts or veterinary treatment. §3.129
Water must be available as often as needed for health and comfort, in clean receptacles. §3.130
Animals sharing an enclosure must be compatible, and must not be housed near animals that interfere with their health or cause them discomfort. §3.133
There is no general enrichment rule for this subpart; enrichment requirements apply to primates, birds and (exercise) dogs. §3.128

Source: 9 CFR Part 3, current eCFR text (USDA APHIS Animal Care).

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
AnAge has a longevity record from an animal in captivity
152 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
9 CFR 2.1: Animal Welfare Act licensing (USDA) Zoo, university or veterinaryWho needs a USDA license to breed, sell or exhibit animals.
Royal Veterinary College Exotics Service: Meerkat care Zoo, university or veterinaryVet-school exotics hospital factsheet, reviewed 2021–2024.
50 CFR Part 16: Injurious wildlife (Lacey Act) Zoo, university or veterinaryCurrent federal regulation, read from eCFR.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.