Species on page

Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana)

Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)

The carnivores of Madagascar appear to be monophyletic. That is to say, they have a common genetic ancestor.
Their closest living relatives are the African mongoose.
After arriving on the island, presumably by rafting there on a floating island, they have undergone an adaptive radiation to fill a variety of niches.
In some cases, they have undergone a series of adaptive changes that cause them ro resemble unrelated carnivores.
Such cases of convergent evolution are perhaps most strikingly illustrated by the case of the fossa which looks like a mountain lion - complete wtih cat like pupils adapted to night vision.

The names of the Malagasy carnivores can be a bit confusing.
For example, the animal commonly known as "the fossa" is actually not in the genus Fossa.
However, the animal known as the Malagasy civet, which is not a civet at all (see below), is in the genus Fossa.
Similiarly, the ring-tailed mongoose, while resembling an ancestral mongoose, is not a true mongoose and is more closely related to the other Malagasy carnivores.

I have been lucky enough to photograph three of these remarkable creatures.

Madagascar civet (Fossa fossana)

Note: Civets are a heterogeneous group of feliform (cat-like) carnivores.
They include some but not all members of the Viverridae and the Eupleridae families.
For instance, fossa, which are not considered civets, are more closely related to the Malagasy civets, than either of these group are to the African civets.

Something of interest

Ranomafana
August 7, 2007

"Is that Bob?"

Ranomafana
August 7, 2007

"Yes, I believe it is."

Ranomafana
August 7, 2007

Ranomafana
August 7, 2007

Ranomafana
August 7, 2007

Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)

Voila mon goose

Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Family: Eupleridae
Ranomafana
July, 2013

Head to tail

Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Family: Eupleridae
Ranomafana
July, 2013

"Yes, I can stick out my tongue and touch my nose."

Ranomafana, Madagascar
July, 2013

When mongeese pretend they are tigers.

Ranomafana, Madagascar
July, 2013

Ring-tailed mongoose

Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Amber Mountain, Madagascar
Canon 5Dmark2
July 6, 2016

Ring-tailed mongoose on tsingy

Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Bemaraha, Madagascar
Canon 7Dmark2
July 14, 2016

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)

The fossa!

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Family: Eupleridae
July, 2013

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Tsimbazaza Zoo
Antananarivo, Madagascar
August 18, 2007

Tsimbazaza Zoo
Antananarivo, Madagascar
August 18, 2007

Fossa intensity

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Kirindy, Madagascar
July 12, 2016
Canon 7Dmark2

Fossa tongue

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Kirindy, Madagascar
July 12, 2016
Canon 7Dmark2

Fossa as sphinx

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Kirindy, Madagascar
July 12, 2016
Canon 7Dmark2

Fossa drinking

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Kirindy, Madagascar
July 12, 2016
Canon 7Dmark2

Fossa - stuffed

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Natural History museum
Tsimbazaza
Tana, Madagascar
June 21, 2016
Canon rebel T5i

Related pages:

African civets

Palm civets

Malagasy civets

Genets

modified: September 24, 2016 (from civet.html)
created: March 5, 2013
Contact: siegelr@stanford.edu
All pictures are protected by copyright. Do not use without permission.