Which family does the fossa belong to?

A family found only in Madagascar

Fossa Quiz: Madagascar's Lemur-Hunting Forest Predator

This fossa quiz stalks through the forests of Madagascar with the island's top predator. Play 10 interactive questions on a cat-like animal related to mongooses, its long balancing tail, flexible ankles for climbing down trees headfirst, semi-retractable claws, lemurs as prey, its endemic family, Kirindy Forest, unusual courtship in trees and threats from habitat loss.

Start Fossa Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Island
Where does the fossa live?
Rank
What is the fossa's role on the island?
Kin
Which animals is the fossa most closely related to?
Prey
What does the fossa often hunt?
Tail
How does its long tail help?
Ankles
What can flexible ankles let it do?
Claws
What kind of claws does it have?
Family
Which family does the fossa belong to?
Forest
Which dry forest is known for fossa sightings?
Mate
Where does fossa mating often happen?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Where does the fossa live?
Answer: Madagascar
It lives nowhere else.
Q2: What is the fossa's role on the island?
Answer: Largest native predator
It sits at the top of the food chain.
Q3: Which animals is the fossa most closely related to?
Answer: Mongooses
It only looks cat-like.
Q4: What does the fossa often hunt?
Answer: Lemurs
They make up much of its diet.
Q5: How does its long tail help?
Answer: Balance in trees
It is nearly as long as its body.
Q6: What can flexible ankles let it do?
Answer: Climb down trees headfirst
Squirrels do this too.
Q7: What kind of claws does it have?
Answer: Semi-retractable
They grip bark.
Q8: Which family does the fossa belong to?
Answer: A family found only in Madagascar
It is called Eupleridae.
Q9: Which dry forest is known for fossa sightings?
Answer: Kirindy
It is on the west coast.
Q10: Where does fossa mating often happen?
Answer: High in trees
Females choose among males.

Madagascar's Top Hunter

The fossa is the largest native predator of Madagascar, an island where it lives and nowhere else. It looks cat-like but is more closely related to mongooses, belonging to Eupleridae, a family found only on Madagascar.

A long tail, nearly as long as its body, helps it balance in trees, and flexible ankles let it climb down trunks headfirst. Semi-retractable claws grip bark. Lemurs make up much of its diet, though it also hunts other animals.

Fossa mating often takes place high in trees, where a female chooses among competing males. Kirindy Forest on the west coast is known for sightings. Habitat loss and conflict with farmers threaten fossas.

What This Quiz Teaches

Wildlife fans will enjoy these questions.

Where fossas live
What they are related to
What they hunt
How they climb
How they breed

Did You Know?

Fossas are active day and night.
Young fossas stay with mothers about a year.
Lemurs give alarm calls when fossas appear.
Fossas can be mistaken for pumas.
They feature in animated films.