Malagasy civet
Fanaloka ( Fossa fossana )
The Fanaloka ( Fossa fossana ) is domiciled in Madagascar endemic carnivore species that resembles the shape of a genet.
Features
Fanalokas reach a body length of 40 to 45 centimeters and additionally there is a 22 to 26 centimeters long tail. Males reach a weight of 1.5 to 1.9 kg, while females from 1.3 to 1.75 kg be a little easier. You can achieve roughly the size of a house cat, but are significantly lighter than this. They have a stocky body with short, rather thin legs. The head is characterized by the long-drawn, fox -like snout, the ears are rounded.
The fur of the Fanalokas is gray-brown, sometimes tinged with a reddish tint, the underside is lighter. On the back cover, two black stripes, these are flanked by several rows of black, stripe -like arranged points on the sides. There are irregular black spots on the thighs. The tail is bushy and has several black rings on.
Distribution and habitat
Fanalokas live on the east coast of Madagascar, their habitats are mainly rain forests, only at the northern tip of their home island they also occur in drier deciduous forests. Often they will stay in the vicinity of water. They live in areas from sea level to 1600 meters above sea level, but more than 1000 meters above sea level, they are much rarer.
Lifestyle and diet
They are nocturnal, as resting places they use, for example, hollow logs or rock crevices. They usually stay on the ground, but can also climb well. They live in pairs inhabiting a fixed area from 0.07 to 0.5 km ². The boundaries of the territory are marked with glandular secretions.
Fanalokas are primarily carnivores that feed on example of crustaceans, worms, insects, frogs and small mammals such as rodents and tenrecs. The diet varies seasonally: in the rainy season they prey mainly crustaceans, reptiles and amphibians, in the dry season intensified mammals. Her tail serves as a fat storage: in the food -rich rainy season they can store fat there and so increase their weight by up to 25 % in order to survive such times of food shortage can. There is no evidence of dry Rigid or hibernation during the dry season.
Reproduction and Development
The mating is seasonal, takes place in August or September. After a 80 - to 90 - day gestation, the female gives birth to usually a single young is born. Newborns weigh around 100 grams and are precocial, they have opened eyes and go after three days. After about a month the first time they take solid food, they are weaned at around two to three months. With about a year, she left the territory of the parents.
Threat
The IUCN leads the Fanaloka Despite declining population numbers as "low risk" ( near threatened ). Main reason for the declining population is the progressive destruction of its habitat through deforestation. In addition, it is sometimes hunted, moreover, stray dogs and the competition of the entrained small Indian civet for the stock decline are responsible.
Systematics and naming
Traditionally, the Fanaloka was counted among the civets. According to recent genetic studies it is, however, in a newly formed group, the Malagasy carnivores ( Eupleridae ) incorporated. These studies showed that all predators of Madagascar - which have previously been performed in different families - from a common ancestor mangustenartigen descended, who probably in the late Oligocene or early Miocene ( about 24-18 million years ago) crossing the Mozambique Channel. The closest relatives of Fanaloka are the Falanuk and the fossa, with which it forms the subfamily of Euplerinae.
The scientific genus name Fanaloka, fossa, sometimes leads to confusion with the fossa, another Malagasy Carnivora. Initially encountered confusion are probably responsible for this designation, by virtue of the rules of the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN ) can not be changed.