| The Fisher is a forest-loving predator that eats anything it can catch, usually small-to-medium-sized rodents, rabbits, hares, and birds. It also eats carrion. Fishers are among the few predators able to kill Porcupines. They do it by biting the face, where there are no quills, until the animal is too weak to prevent being rolled over and attacked in the soft underbelly. Fishers are active by day or night. They tend to be solitary and defend territories. They were once hunted for their lustrous, chocolate-brown fur, and the range of this species has been reduced greatly in the United States. They are still hunted in some places, but some states and provinces of Canada list the fisher as endangered, and the population has recovered from extreme lows in the last century.
Also known as:
Pekan, Fisher Cat, Black Cat, Wejack, American Sable
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are larger than females.
Length:
Range:
900-1,200 mm males; 750-950 mm females
Weight:
Average:
3,500 g males; 2,000-2,500 g females
References:
Erxleben, J.C.P., 1777. Systema regni animalis per classes, ordines, genera, species, varietas, cum synonymia et historia animalium. Classis I, Mammalia, p. 470. Wegand, Leipzig, 636 pp.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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Martes pennanti - spring/summer coloration
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Martes pennanti and Erethizon dorsatum - the Fisher is one of the Porcupine's few natural predators
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