Fisher (animal)

Species of small, carnivorous mammal native to North America

"Fisher cat" redirects here. For Asian wild cat, see fishing cat. For other uses, see Fisher cat (disambiguation).

Fisher

A fisher in New Hampshire

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Secure  (NatureServe)[2]

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Mammalia
Order:  | Carnivora
Suborder:  | Caniformia
Family:  | Mustelidae
Subfamily:  | Guloninae
Genus:  | Pekania
Species:  |

P. pennanti

Binomial name
Pekania pennanti

(Erxleben, 1777)

Synonyms

List

* Mustela pennantii Erxleben, 1777
* Mustela canadensis Schreber, 1788
* Mustela melanorhyncha Boddaert, 1784
* Mustela zibellina nigra Kerr, 1792
* Viverra piscator Shaw, 1800
* Viverra canadensis Shaw, 1800
* Mustela nigra Turton, 1802
* Mustela piscatoria Lesson, 1827
* Martes pennantii Smith, 1843
* Martes pennanti Coues, 1877

The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a carnivorous mammal native to North America, a forest-dwelling creature whose range covers much of the boreal forest in Canada to the northern United States. It is a member of the mustelid family, and is the only living member of the genus Pekania. It is sometimes referred to as a fisher cat, although it is not a cat.[3]

The fisher is closely related to, but larger than, the American marten (Martes americana) and Pacific marten (Martes caurina). In some regions, the fisher is known as a pekan, derived from its name in the Abenaki language, or wejack, an Algonquian word (cf. Cree ocêk, Ojibwa ojiig) borrowed by fur traders. Other Native American names for the fisher are Chipewyan thacho[4] and Carrier chunihcho,[5] both meaning "big marten", and Wabanaki uskool.[6]

Fishers have few predators besides humans. They have been trapped since the 18th century for their fur. Their pelts were in such demand that they became locally extinct in several parts of the United States in the early part of the 20th century. Conservation and protection measures have allowed the species to rebound, but their current range is still reduced from its historical limits. In the 1920s, when pelt prices were high, some fur farmers attempted to raise fishers. However, their unusual delayed reproduction made breeding difficult. When pelt prices fell in the late 1940s, most fisher farming ended. While fishers usually avoid human contact, encroachments into forest habitats have resulted in some conflicts.

Male and female fishers look similar, but can be differentiated by size, with males being up to twice as large as the females. The fur of the fisher varies seasonally, being denser and glossier in the winter. During the summer, the color becomes more mottled, as the fur goes through a moulting cycle. The fisher prefers to hunt in the full forest. Although an agile climber, it spends most of its time on the forest floor, where it prefers to forage around fallen trees. An omnivore, it feeds on a wide variety of small animals and occasionally on fruits and mushrooms. It prefers the snowshoe hare and is one of the few animals able to prey successfully on porcupines. Despite its common name, it rarely eats fish. The reproductive cycle lasts almost a year. Female fishers give birth to a litter of three or four kits in the spring. They nurse and care for them until late summer, when they are old enough to set out on their own. Females enter estrus shortly after giving birth and leave the den to find a mate. Implantation of the blastocyst is delayed until the following spring, when they give birth and the cycle is renewed.

## Etymology

[edit]

Despite the name "fisher", the animal is not known to eat fish. The name is instead related to the word "fitch", meaning a European polecat (Mustela putorius) or pelt thereof, due to the resemblance to that animal. The name comes from colonial Dutch equivalent fisse or visse. In the French language, the pelt of a polecat is also called fiche or fichet.[6] Alternatively, Dr. James DeKay, as reported by John James Audubon and John Bachman, claimed the name "fisher" may have been attributed to the animal's "singular fondness for the fish used to bait traps",[7] although this may have been local lore.

## Taxonomy

[edit]

Skull diagram

The Latin specific name pennanti honors Thomas Pennant, who described the fisher in 1771. Buffon had first described the creature in 1765, calling it a pekan. Pennant examined the same specimen, but called it a fisher, unaware of Buffon's earlier description. Other 18th-century scientists gave it similar names, such as Schreber, who named it Mustela canadensis, and Boddaert, who named it Mustela melanorhyncha.[8] The fisher was eventually placed in the genus Martes by Smith in 1843.[9] In 2008, advances in DNA analysis allowed a more detailed study of the fisher's evolutionary history. The fisher and the genus Martes were determined to have descended from a common ancestor, but the fisher was distinct enough to put it in its own genus. It was decided to create the genus Pekania and reclassify the fisher as Pekania pennanti.[10]

Members of the genus Pekania are distinguished by their four premolar teeth on the upper and lower jaws. Its close relative Mustela has just three. The fisher has 38 teeth. The dentition formula is: 3.1.4.12.1.4.2[11]

### Evolution

[edit]

Some evidence shows that ancestors of the fisher migrated to North America during the Pliocene era between 2.5 and 5.0 million years ago. Two extinct mustelids, Pekania palaeosinensis and P. anderssoni, have been found in eastern Asia. The first true fisher, P. diluviana, has only been found in Middle Pleistocene North America. P. diluviana is strongly indicated to be related to the Asian finds, which suggests a migration. P. pennanti has been found as early as the Late Pleistocene era, about 125,000 years ago. No major differences are seen between the Pleistocene fisher and the modern fisher. Fossil evidence indicates that the fisher's range extended farther south than it does today.[6]

Three subspecies were identified by Goldman in 1935, Martes pennanti columbiana, M. p. pacifica, and M. p. pennanti. Later research has debated whether these subspecies could be positively identified. In 1959, E.M. Hagmeier concluded that the subspecies are not separable based on either fur or skull characteristics. Although some debate still exists, in general, the fisher is recognized to be a monotypic species with no extant subspecies.[12]

## Physical characteristics

[edit]

Fisher in winter coat

Fishers' bodies are long, thin, and low to the ground. The sexes have similar physical features, but they are sexually dimorphic in size, with the male being much larger than the female. Males are 90–120 cm (35–47 in) in total length and weigh 3.5–6.0 kg (8–13 lb). Females measure 75–95 cm (30–37 in) and weigh 2.0–2.5 kg (4–6 lb). Head and body lengths for both sexes range from 47–75 cm (19–30 in); the tail adding a further 30–42 cm (12–17 in).[13][14][15] The largest male fisher ever recorded weighed 9 kg (20 lb).[16]

The fisher's fur changes with the season and differs slightly between sexes. Males have coarser coats than females. In the early winter, the coats are dense and glossy, ranging from 30 mm (1 in) on the chest to 70 mm (3 in) on the back. The color ranges from deep brown to black, although it appears to be much blacker in the winter when contrasted with white snow. From the face to the shoulders, fur can be hoary-gold or silver due to tricolored guard hairs. The underside of a fisher is almost completely brown except for randomly placed patches of white or cream-colored fur. In the summer, the fur color is more variable and may lighten considerably. Fishers undergo moulting starting in late summer and finishing by November or December.[17]

Fishers have five toes on each foot, with unsheathed, retractable claws.[6] Their feet are large, making it easier for them to move on top of snow packs. In addition to the toes, four central pads are on each foot. On the hind paws are coarse hairs that grow between the pads and the toes, giving them added traction when walking on slippery surfaces.[18] Fishers have highly mobile ankle joints that can rotate their hind paws almost 180°, allowing them to maneuver well in trees and climb down head-first.[19][20] The fisher is one of relatively few mammalian species with the ability to descend trees head-first.[21]

A circular patch of hair on the central pad of their hind paws marks plantar glands that give off a distinctive odor. Since these patches become enlarged during breeding season, they are likely used to make a scent trail to allow fishers to find each other so they can mate.[18]

## Biology and behavior

[edit]

### Hunting and diet

[edit]

Fishers are generalist predators. Although their primary prey is snowshoe hares and porcupines, they are also known to supplement their diet with insects, nuts, berries, and mushrooms. They have been observed eating small apples during winter. Since they are solitary hunters, their choice of prey is limited by their size. Analyses of stomach contents and scat have found evidence of birds, small mammals, and even deer—the latter indicating that they are not averse to eating carrion.[22] While the behavior is not common, fishers have been known to kill larger animals, such as wild turkey, raccoon, fox, marten, mink, otter, bobcat, and Canada lynx.[23][24][25][26] Raccoons may be killed by a large fisher in trees or on the ground. Fishers can also catch martens on the ground or in the trees, and usually there is either a good population of fisher or marten but not both.[26] Researchers in Maine have found "about a dozen" cases of confirmed fisher predation on Canada lynx, and several more suspected cases, in a four-township area of Maine.[27] According to Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wildlife biologist Scott McClellan, the fishers involved in these kills attacked lynx bedded down in snowstorms with a quick "powerful grip" bite to the lynx's neck.[27] Signs of struggle indicated that some lynx attempted to defend themselves but McClellan states that "the fishers would finish the cats off pretty quickly. There was some struggle certainly, but it didn't appear to last very long. There were some broken branches, tufts of fur, and claw marks where the lynx was trying to get away."[27] The McClellan study in The Journal of Wildlife Management documents 14 fisher-caused mortalities of Canada lynx from 1999 to 2011 in northern Maine, and found that predation was the leading source of mortality of lynx in the study area (18 deaths, 14 by fisher).[28]

Fishers are one of the few predators that seek out and kill porcupines. Stories in popular literature indicate that fishers can flip a porcupine onto its back and "scoop out its belly like a ripe melon".[29] This was identified as an exaggerated misconception as early as 1966.[30] Observational studies show that fishers make repeated biting attacks on the face of a porcupine and kill it after about 25–30 minutes.[31]

### Reproduction

[edit]

The female fisher begins to breed at about one year of age and her reproductive cycle is an almost year-long event. Mating takes place in late March to early April. Blastocyst implantation is then delayed for ten months until mid-February of the following year when active pregnancy begins. After gestating for about 50 days, the female gives birth to one to four kits.[32] The female then enters estrus 7–10 days later and the breeding cycle begins again.[33]

Females den in hollow trees. Kits are born blind, helpless, and are partially covered with fine hair. Kits begin to crawl after about three weeks. After about seven weeks, they open their eyes.[34] They start to climb after eight weeks. Kits are completely dependent on their mother's milk for the first eight to ten weeks, after which they begin to switch to a solid diet. After four months, kits become intolerant of their litter mates, and at five months, the mother pushes them out on their own. After one year, juveniles will have established their own range.[33]

### Social structure and home range

[edit]

Fishers are generally crepuscular, being most active at dawn and dusk. They are active year-round, and are solitary, associating with other fishers only for mating. Males become more active during mating season. Females are least active during pregnancy and gradually increase activity after birth of their kits.[33]

A fisher's hunting range varies from 6.6 km2 (3 sq mi) in the summer to 14.1 km2 (5 sq mi) in the winter. Ranges up to 20.0 km2 (8 sq mi) in the winter are possible depending on the quality of the habitat. Male and female fishers have overlapping territories. This behavior is imposed on females by males due to dominance in size and a male's desire to increase mating success.[35]

### Predators and parasites

[edit]

As far as is known, adult fishers are not regularly subject to predation. Predators of the fisher included bears (Ursus spp), coyotes (Canis latrans), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), lynxes (Lynx sp.), mountain lions (Puma concolor), wolverines (Gulo gulo), and possibly great horned owls (Bubo virginianus).[36][37][38]

Parasites of fishers include nematode Baylisascaris devosi, tapeworm Taenia sibirica, nematode Physaloptera sp., trematodes Alaria mustelae and Metorchis conjunctus, nematode Trichinella spiralis, and Molineus sp.[39]

## Habitat

[edit]

A fisher in the woods in Topsfield, Massachusetts

Although fishers are competent tree climbers, they spend most of their time on the forest floor and prefer continuous forest to other habitats. They have been found in extensive conifer forests typical of the boreal forest, but are also common in mixed-hardwood and conifer forests. Fishers prefer areas with continuous overhead cover with greater than 80% coverage and avoid areas with less than 50% coverage.[40] Fishers are more likely to be found in old-growth forests. Since female fishers require moderately large trees for denning, forests that have been heavily logged and have extensive second growth appear to be unsuitable for their needs.[41]

Fishers also select for forest floors with large amounts of coarse woody debris. In western forests, where fire regularly removes understory debris, fishers show a preference for riparian woodland habitat.[35][42][43] Fishers tend to avoid areas with deep snow. Habitat is also affected by snow compaction and moisture content.[44]

## Distribution

[edit]

A fisher climbing a tree at night

Fishers are widespread throughout the northern forests of North America. They are present in the boreal and mixed deciduous-coniferous forest belt that runs across Canada from Nova Scotia in the east to the Pacific shore of British Columbia and north to Alaska. They are present as far north as Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories and as far south as the mountains of Oregon. Isolated populations occur in the Sierra Nevada of California, throughout New England, in the Catskill mountains of New York and the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia,[45] and Virginia.[46]

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fishers were virtually eliminated from the southern and eastern parts of their range, including most American states and eastern Canada including Nova Scotia. Overtrapping and loss of forest habitat were the reasons for the decline.[47][48]

Most states had placed restrictions on fisher trapping by the 1930s, coincidental with the end of the logging boom. A combination of forest regrowth in abandoned farmlands and improved forest management practices increased available habitat and allowed remnant populations to recover. Populations have since recovered sufficiently that the species is no longer endangered. Increasing forest cover in eastern North America means that fisher populations will remain sufficiently robust for the near future. Between 1955 and 1985, some states had allowed limited trapping to resume. In areas where fishers were eliminated, porcupine populations subsequently increased. Areas with a high density of porcupines were found to have extensive damage to timber crops. In these cases, fishers were reintroduced by releasing adults relocated from other places into the forest. Once the fisher populations became re-established, porcupine numbers returned to natural levels.[49] In Washington, fisher sightings were reported into the 1980s, but an extensive survey in the 1990s did not locate any.[50]

Scattered fisher populations now exist in the Pacific Northwest. In 1961, fishers from British Columbia and Minnesota were reintroduced in Oregon to the southern Cascades near Klamath Falls and to the Wallowa Mountains near La Grande. From 1977 to 1980, fishers were introduced to the region around Crater Lake.[51] Starting in January 2008, fishers were reintroduced into Washington State.[52] The initial reintroduction was on the Olympic peninsula (90 animals), with subsequent reintroductions into the south Cascade Mountains. The reintroduced animals are monitored by radio collars and remote cameras, and have been shown to be reproducing.[53] From 2008 to 2011, about 40 fishers were reintroduced in the northern Sierra Nevada near Stirling City, complementing fisher populations in Yosemite National Park and along California's northern boundary between the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Klamath Mountains.[54] Fishers are a protected species in Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. In Idaho and California, fishers are protected through a closed trapping season, but they are not afforded any specific protection;[55] however, in California the fisher has been granted threatened status under the Endangered Species Act.[56] In June 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended that fishers be removed from the endangered list in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.[14]

Recent studies, as well as anecdotal evidence, show that fishers have begun making inroads into suburban backyards, farmland, and periurban areas in several US states and eastern Canada, as far south as most of northern Massachusetts, New York,[57][58] Connecticut,[59] Minnesota and Iowa,[60] and even northwestern New Jersey.[61] Having virtually disappeared after the construction of the Cape Cod Canal in the early 1900s, some reports have shown that populations have become re-established on Cape Cod,[62][63][64][65] although the populations are likely smaller than the populations in the western part of New England.[63]

## Relationship with humans

[edit]

Fishers have had a long history of contact with humans, but most of it has been to the detriment of fisher populations. Unprovoked attacks on humans are extremely rare, but fishers will attack if they feel threatened or cornered. In one case, a fisher was blamed for an attack on a six-year-old boy.[66][67] In another case, a fisher is believed to be responsible for an attack on a 12-year-old boy.[68]

### Fur trade and conservation

[edit]

Fisher pelts sold: 1920–1984[69][70]

Fishers have been trapped since the 18th century. They have been popular with trappers due to the value of their fur, which has been used for scarves and neck pieces. It is reported that fisher tails were used in the making of spodiks, a form of ceremonial hat worn by Jews of certain Hasidic sects.[citation needed]

The best pelts are from winter trapping, with secondary-quality pelts from spring trapping. The lowest-quality furs come from out-of-season trapping when fishers are moulting. They are easily trapped, and the value of their fur was a particular incentive for catching this species.[71]

Prices for pelts have varied considerably over the past 100 years. They were highest in the 1920s and 1930s, when average prices were about US$100.[6] In 1936, pelts were being offered for sale in New York City for $450–750 per pelt.[72] Prices declined through the 1960s, but picked up again in the late 1970s. In 1979, the Hudson's Bay Company paid $410 for one female pelt.[72] In 1999, 16,638 pelts were sold in Canada for C$449,307 at an average price of $27.[73]

Between 1900 and 1940, fishers were threatened with near extinction in the southern part of their range due to overtrapping and alterations to their habitat. In New England, fishers, along with most other furbearers, were nearly exterminated due to unregulated trapping. Fishers became extirpated in many northern U.S. states after 1930, but were still abundant enough in Canada to maintain a harvest over 3,000 fishers per year. Limited protection was afforded in the early 20th century, but total protection was not given to the few remaining fishers until 1934. Closed seasons, habitat recovery, and reintroductions have restored fishers to much of their original range.[6]

Trapping resumed in the U.S. after 1962, once numbers had recovered sufficiently. During the early 1970s, the value of fisher pelts soared, leading to another population crash in 1976. After a few years of closed seasons, fisher trapping reopened in 1979 with a shortened season and restricted bag limits. The population has steadily increased since then, with steadily increasing numbers of trapped animals, despite a much lower pelt value.[69]

### Captivity

[edit]

Fisher fur pelt (dyed)

Fishers have been captured live for fur farming, zoo specimens, and scientific research. From 1920–1946, pelt prices averaged about C$137. Since pelts were relatively valuable, attempts were made to raise fishers on farms. Fur farming was popular with other species such as mink and ermine, so the same techniques were thought to be applicable to fishers. However, farmers found it difficult to raise fishers due to their unusual reproductive cycle. In general, knowledge of delayed implantation in fishers was unknown at the time. Farmers noted that females mated in the spring but did not give birth. Due to declining pelt prices, most fisher farms closed operations by the late 1940s.[74]

Fishers have also been captured and bred by zoos, but they are not a common zoo species. Fishers are poor animals to exhibit because, in general, they hide from visitors all day. Some zoos have had difficulty keeping fishers alive since they are susceptible to many diseases in captivity.[75] Yet at least one example shows a fisher kept in captivity that lived to be 10 years old, and another living to be about 14 years old,[76] well beyond its natural lifespan of 7 years.[77][78]

In 1974, R.A. Powell raised two fisher kits for the purpose of performing scientific research. His primary interest was an attempt to measure the activity of fishers to determine how much food the animals required to function. He did this by running them through treadmill exercises that simulated activity in the wild. He compared this to their food intake and used the data to estimate daily food requirements. The research lasted for two years. After one year, one of the fishers died due to unknown causes. The second was released back into the wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.[79]

### Interactions with domestic animals

[edit]

Fisher raiding a farmer's duck coop

In some areas, fishers can become pests to farmers when they raid chicken coops, and instances of fishers preying on cats and small dogs have been reported.[80][81][82][83][84][85] However, a 1979 study examined the stomach contents of all fishers trapped in the state of New Hampshire; cat hairs were found in only one of over 1,000 stomachs.[86] An informal unfinished 2011 study in suburban upstate New York found no cat remains in 24 scat or stomach samples, and an earlier published study found no cat in 226 Massachusetts samples.[87]

### Poisoning

[edit]

Male fisher killed by anticoagulant rodenticide on a marijuana grow site on US Forest Service lands, southern Sierra Nevada mountains

In 2012, a study conducted by the Integral Ecology Research Center,[88] UC Davis, U.S. Forest Service, and the Hoopa tribe showed that fishers in California were exposed to and killed by anticoagulant rodenticides associated with marijuana cultivation.[89] In this study, 79% of fishers that were tested in California were exposed to an average of 1.61 different anticoagulant rodenticides, and four fishers died from this exposure. A 2015 follow-up study building on these data determined that the trend of exposure and mortality from these toxicants increased to 85%, that California fishers were now exposed to an average of 1.73 different anticoagulant rodenticides, and that 9 more fishers died, bringing the total to 13.[90] The extent of marijuana cultivation within fishers' home ranges was highlighted in a 2013 study focusing on fisher survival and impacts from marijuana cultivation within the Sierra National Forest.[91] Fishers had an average of 5.3 individual grow sites within their home range.[91] One fisher had 16 individual grow sites within its territory.

### Literature

[edit]

One of the first mentions of fishers in literature occurred in The Audubon Book of True Nature Stories. Robert Snyder relates a tale of his encounter with fishers in the woods of the Adirondack Mountains of New York. He recounts three sightings, including one where he witnessed a fisher attacking a porcupine.[92]

In Winter of the Fisher, Cameron Langford relates a fictional encounter between a fisher and an aging recluse living in the forest. The recluse frees the fisher from a trap and nurses it back to health. The fisher tolerates the attention, but being a wild animal, returns to the forest when well enough. Langford uses the ecology and known habits of the fisher to weave a tale of survival and tolerance in the northern woods of Canada.[93]

Fishers are mentioned in several other books, including The Blood Jaguar (an animal shaman), Ereth's Birthday (a porcupine hunter), Egg Marks The Spot (a treasure hunter), and in The Sign of the Beaver, where a fisher is thought to have been caught in a trap.[94][95][96]

## References

[edit]

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51. ^ Keith B. Aubry; Jeffrey C. Lewis (November 2003). "Extirpation and reintroduction of fishers (Martes pennanti) in Oregon: implications for their conservation in the Pacific states". Biological Conservation. 114 (1): 79–90\. Bibcode:2003BCons.114...79A. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(03)00003-X.
52. ^ Mapes, Lynda V (January 28, 2008). "Weasel-like fisher back in state after many decades". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
53. ^ "Threatened and Endangered Species in Washington: 2012 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 29, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
54. ^ Peter Fimrite (December 9, 2011). "Fishers returned to area in Sierra after 100 years". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
55. ^ Zielinski, William J.; Kucera, Thomas E. (1998). American Marten, Fisher, Lynx, and Wolverine: Survey Methods for Their Detection. DIANE Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7881-3628-3. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
56. ^ "CNDDB Endangered and Threatened Animals List" (PDF). April 1, 2017. p. 13. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
57. ^ Zezima, Katie (June 10, 2008). "A Fierce Predator Makes a Home in the Suburbs". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
58. ^ LaPoint, S; Gallery, P; Wikelski, M; Kays, R (2013). "Animal behavior, cost-based corridor models, and real corridors". Landscape Ecology. 28 (8): 1615–1630\. Bibcode:2013LaEco..28.1615L. doi:10.1007/s10980-013-9910-0.
59. ^ Polansky, Rob. "West Haven residents concerned over fisher cats". WFSB Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
60. ^ "Trail camera shows fierce mammal not seen in Iowa since 1800s". February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
61. ^ Kontos, Charles (October 19, 2013). "Rutgers, friends memorialize naturalist Charlie Kontos". Retrieved April 9, 2015.
62. ^ Ward, Katy (March 23, 2017). "Fisher cat found dead on the beach near MacMillan Pier". Wicked Local Provincetown. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
63. ^ a b Brennan, George (April 3, 2008). "Rare Cape fisher caught on camera". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
64. ^ Schanbacher, Mike (October 5, 2017). "Fisher in Falmouth". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
65. ^ Davis, Chase (November 13, 2005). "Elusive fisher cats returning to Cape". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
66. ^ "Fisher cat attacks boy". Westerly Sun. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
67. ^ "Fisher Cat Attacks Child at Bus Stop". FOX News, Providence, RI. June 23, 2009. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
68. ^ "Family says boy, 12, attacked by fisher cat". WCVB News. July 1, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
69. ^ a b Milan Novak, ed. (1987). Furbearer harvests in North America, 1600–1984. Ontario Trappers Association.
70. ^ "Bank of Canada inflation calculator". Bank of Canada. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
71. ^ Hodgson, pp. 17–18.
72. ^ a b Hodgson, pp. 97–98.
73. ^ Statistics Canada. Agriculture Division (2008). Fur Statistics (Report).
74. ^ Hodgson, pp. 4–5.
75. ^ Powell, pp. 207–8.
76. ^ "Feds issue notice after Pacific fisher dies at HSU". times-standard.com. September 2, 2016.
77. ^ New York Zoological Society (1971). Bronx Zoo (Report).
78. ^ "Basic Facts About Fishers". Defenders of Wildlife. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
79. ^ Powell, pp. xi–xv.
80. ^ "Weasel-like fishers rebound; backyard pets become prey". San Diego Union-Tribune. June 12, 2008. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
81. ^ "Fisher: The fisher is a North American marten, a medium sized mustelid". Science Daily. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
82. ^ "What is a Fisher Cat?". WPRI.com. June 23, 2009. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
83. ^ "Fisher [sic] in Massachusetts". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
84. ^ O'Brian, Brian (August 25, 2005). "On the wild side: Once nearly extinct, weasel-like fishers thrive in the suburbs, where their ravenous feeding habits threaten family pets". Boston Globe. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
85. ^ Fahim, Kareem (July 4, 2007). "A Cat Fight? Sort of, only louder and uglier". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
86. ^ Orff, Eric B. "The Fisher: New Hampshire's Rodney Dangerfield". New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife News. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
87. ^ Kays, Roland (April 6, 2011). "Do Fishers Really Eat Cats?". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
88. ^ Integral Ecology Research Center
89. ^ Gabriel, Mourad W.; Woods, Leslie W.; Poppenga, Robert; Sweitzer, Rick A.; Thompson, Craig; Matthews, Sean M.; Higley, J. Mark; Keller, Stefan M.; Purcell, Kathryn (July 13, 2012). "Anticoagulant Rodenticides on our Public and Community Lands: Spatial Distribution of Exposure and Poisoning of a Rare Forest Carnivore". PLOS ONE. 7 (7): e40163. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...740163G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040163. PMC 3396649. PMID 22808110.
90. ^ Gabriel, Mourad W.; Woods, Leslie W.; Wengert, Greta M.; Stephenson, Nicole; Higley, J. Mark; Thompson, Craig; Matthews, Sean M.; Sweitzer, Rick A.; Purcell, Kathryn (November 4, 2015). "Patterns of Natural and Human-Caused Mortality Factors of a Rare Forest Carnivore, the Fisher (Pekania pennanti) in California". PLOS ONE. 10 (11): e0140640. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1040640G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140640. PMC 4633177. PMID 26536481.
91. ^ a b Thompson, Craig; Sweitzer, Richard; Gabriel, Mourad; Purcell, Kathryn; Barrett, Reginald; Poppenga, Robert (March 1, 2014). "Impacts of Rodenticide and Insecticide Toxicants from Marijuana Cultivation Sites on Fisher Survival Rates in the Sierra National Forest, California". Conservation Letters. 7 (2): 91–102\. Bibcode:2014ConL....7...91T. doi:10.1111/conl.12038. ISSN 1755-263X. S2CID 56056229.
92. ^ Snyder, Robert G. (1958). "The "Black Cat" of the Forest". In Terres JK (ed.). The Audubon Book of True Nature Stories. Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York. pp. 2011–15.
93. ^ Langford, Cameron (1971). Winter of the Fisher. Macmillan of Canada Company, Toronto, Ontario. ISBN 978-0-7089-2937-7.
94. ^ Payne, Michael H. (1998). The Blood Jaguar. Tor, New York. ISBN 978-0-312-86783-6.
95. ^ Avi (2000). Ereth's Birthday. HarperCollins, New York. ISBN 978-0-380-80490-0.
96. ^ Speare, Elizabeth George (1983). The Sign of the Beaver. Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, New York. ISBN 978-0-547-34870-4.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Coues, Elliott (1877). Fur Bearing Animals: a Monograph of North American Mustelidae. Department of the Interior (US). pp. 62–74. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
* Feldhamer, George A.; Thompson, Bruce C.; Chapman, Joseph A. (2003). Wild mammals of North America: biology, management, and conservation. JHU Press. pp. 635–649\. ISBN 978-0-8018-7416-1. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
* Fergus, Charles (2006). Wildlife of Virginia and Maryland and Washington. Stackpole Books. pp. 101–103\. ISBN 978-0-8117-2821-8. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
* Hodgson, Robert G. (1937). Fisher Farming. Fur Trade Journal of Canada.
* Powell, Roger A. (November 1993). The Fisher: Life History, Ecology, and Behavior. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-2266-5.
* Buskirk, Steven W.; Harestad, Alton S.; Raphael, Martin G.; Powell, Roger A. (1994). Martens, sables, and fishers: biology and conservation. Comstock Publishing Associates. ISBN 978-0-8014-2894-4.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martes pennanti.

* Fisher videos, photos and facts Arkive.org.
* Fisher Cat Screech Online community of fisher sightings, sounds, and videos.
* Texts on Wikisource:
* "Fisher". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.
* "Fisher". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
* "Fisher". The American Cyclopædia. 1879.

* v
* t
* e

Extant Carnivora species

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Mammalia
* Infraclass: Eutheria
* Superorder: Laurasiatheria

Feliformia ("cat-like" carnivorans)

Feliformia

* African palm civet (Nandinia binotata)

Feloidea

| Prionodon (Asiatic linsangs)|

* Banded linsang (P. linsang)
* Spotted linsang (P. pardicolor)

|

Felidae (cats)

| Pantherinae|

| Neofelis|

* Sunda clouded leopard (N. diardi)
* Clouded leopard (N. nebulosa)

|

Panthera|

* Snow leopard (P. uncia)
* Tiger (P. tigris)
* Jaguar (P. onca)
* Lion (P. leo)
* Leopard (P. pardus)

Felinae sensu stricto

| Bay cat
lineage|

| Pardofelis|

* Marbled cat (P. marmorata)

|

Catopuma|

* Bay cat (C. badia)
* Asian golden cat (C. temminckii)

Caracal
lineage|

* Serval (Leptailurus serval)

Caracal|

* African golden cat (C. aurata)
* Caracal (C. caracal)

Leopardus|

* Pampas cat (L. colocola)
* Geoffroy's cat (L. geoffroyi)
* Kodkod (L. guigna)
* Southern tiger cat (L. guttulus)
* Andean mountain cat (L. jacobita)
* Ocelot (L. pardalis)
* Oncilla (L. tigrinus)
* Margay (L. wiedii)

Lynx|

* Canada lynx (L. canadensis)
* Eurasian lynx (L. lynx)
* Iberian lynx (L. pardinus)
* Bobcat (L. rufus)

Puma
lineage|

| Acinonyx|

* Cheetah (A. jubatus)

|

* Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)

Puma|

* Cougar (P. concolor)

Leopard cat
lineage|

* Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul)

Prionailurus|

* Leopard cat (P. bengalensis)
* Sunda leopard cat (P. javanensis)
* Flat-headed cat (P. planiceps)
* Rusty-spotted cat (P. rubiginosus)
* Fishing cat (P. viverrinus)

Felis|

* Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti)
* Domestic cat (F. catus)
* Jungle cat (F. chaus)
* African wildcat (F. lybica)
* Sand cat (F. margarita)
* Black-footed cat (F. nigripes)
* European wildcat (F. silvestris)

Viverroidea|

*     * see below↓

Viverroidea

Viverridae

Palm civets

| Hemigalinae|

* Owston's palm civet (Chrotogale owstoni)
* Otter civet (Cynogale bennettii)
* Hose's palm civet (Diplogale hosei)
* Banded palm civet (Hemigalus derbyanus)

|

Paradoxurinae|

* Binturong (Arctictis binturong)
* Small-toothed palm civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata)
* Sulawesi palm civet (Macrogalidia musschenbroekii)
* Masked palm civet (Paguma larvata)

Paradoxurus|

* Asian palm civet (P. hermaphroditus)
* Brown palm civet (P. jerdoni)
* Golden palm civet (P. zeylonensis)

Viverrinae sensu lato

| Viverrinae
sensu stricto|

* Small Indian civet (Viverricula indica)
* African civet (Civettictis civetta)

Viverra|

* Malabar large-spotted civet (V. civettina)
* Large-spotted civet (V. megaspila)
* Malayan civet (V. tangalunga)
* Large Indian civet (V. zibetha)

Genettinae

| Poiana
(African linsangs)|

* Central African oyan (P. richardsonii)
* West African oyan (P. leightoni)

|

Genetta (genets)

| subgenus Genetta
(paraphyletic)|

* Abyssinian genet (G. abyssinica)
* Common genet (G. genetta)
* South African small-spotted genet (G. felina)

|

subgenus Eugenetta
(paraphyletic)|

* Angolan genet (G. angolensis)
* Cape genet (G. tigrina)

subgenus Herpailuropoda
(paraphyletic)|

* Bourlon's genet (G. bourloni)
* Johnston's genet (G. johnstoni)
* Hausa genet (G. thierryi)
* Giant forest genet (G. victoriae)

subgenus Pardogale
(paraphyletic)|

* Pardine genet (G. pardina)
* King genet (G. poensis)

subgenus Prionailuropoda|

* Letaba genet (G. letabae)
* Rusty-spotted genet (G. maculata)
* Schouteden's genet (G. schoutedeni)

subgenus Leptailuropoda
(paraphyletic)|

* Crested servaline genet (G. cristata)
* Servaline genet (G. servalina)

subgenus Osbornictis|

* Aquatic genet (G. piscivora)

| Herpestoidea|

*     * see below↓

|

Herpestoidea

| Hyaenidae
(hyenas)|

| Proteles|

* Aardwolf (P. cristata)

|

Hyaeninae
(bone-crushing hyenas)|

* Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena)
* Brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)

Crocuta|

* Spotted hyena (C. crocuta)

Herpestidae sensu lato

| Eupleridae
(Malagasy
carnivorans)|

| Euplerinae
(Malagasy civets)|

* Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
* Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana)

Eupleres (falanoucs)|

* Eastern falanouc (E. goudotii)
* Western falanouc (E. major)

Galidiinae
(vontsira)|

* Ring-tailed vontsira (Galidia elegans)

Galidictis|

* Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose (G. fasciata)
* Grandidier's mongoose (G. grandidieri)

* Narrow-striped mongoose (Mungotictis decemlineata)

Salanoia|

* Brown-tailed mongoose (S. concolor)
* Durrell's vontsira (S. durrelli)

Herpestidae sensu stricto (mongooses)

Mungotinae

| Suricata|

* Meerkat (S. suricatta)

|

* Liberian mongoose (Liberiictus kuhni)

Mungos|

* Gambian mongoose (M. gambianus)
* Banded mongoose (M. mungo)

* Pousargues's mongoose (Dologale dybowskii)

Helogale|

* Ethiopian dwarf mongoose (H. hirtula)
* Common dwarf mongoose (H. parvula)

Crossarchus
(kusimanses)|

* Alexander's kusimanse (C. alexandri)
* Angolan kusimanse (C. ansorgei)
* Common kusimanse (C. obscurus)
* Flat-headed kusimanse (C. platycephalus)

Herpestinae

* Marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus)
* Long-nosed mongoose (Xenogale naso)

Urva
(Asian mongooses)|

* Small Indian mongoose (U. auropunctata)
* Short-tailed mongoose (U. brachyura)
* Indian grey mongoose (U. edwardsii)
* Indian brown mongoose (U. fusca)
* Javan mongoose (U. javanica)
* Collared mongoose (U. semitorquata)
* Ruddy mongoose (U. smithii)
* Crab-eating mongoose (U. urva)
* Stripe-necked mongoose (U. vitticolla)

* White-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda)
* Yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata)
* Selous's mongoose (Paracynictis selousi)
* Meller's mongoose (Rhynchogale melleri)

Bdeogale|

* Bushy-tailed mongoose (B. crassicauda)
* Jackson's mongoose (B. jacksoni)
* Black-footed mongoose (B. nigripes)

Herpestes
(slender mongooses)|

* Angolan slender mongoose (H. flavescens)
* Egyptian mongoose (H. ichneumon)
* Somalian slender mongoose (H. ochracea)
* Cape gray mongoose (H. pulverulenta)
* Common slender mongoose (H. sanguinea)

Caniformia ("dog-like" carnivorans)

Canidae (dogs)

| Urocyon|

* Gray fox (U. cinereoargenteus)
* Island fox (U. littoralis)

|

Vulpini

* Bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis)

Nyctereutes
(raccoon dogs)|

* Common raccoon dog (N. procyonoides)
* Japanese raccoon dog (N. viverrinus)

Vulpes
(true foxes)|

* Bengal fox (V. bengalensis)
* Blanford's fox (V. cana)
* Cape fox (V. chama)
* Corsac fox (V. corsac)
* Tibetan fox (V. ferrilata)
* Arctic fox (V. lagopus)
* Kit fox (V. macrotis)
* Pale fox (V. pallida)
* Rüppell's fox (V. rueppelli)
* Swift fox (V. velox)
* Red fox (V. vulpes)
* Fennec fox (V. zerda)

Canini (true dogs)

Cerdocyonina
(zorro)

* Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

Speothos|

* Bush dog (S. venaticus)

* Short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis)
* Crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous)

Lycalopex
(South American foxes)|

* Culpeo (L. culpaeus)
* Darwin's fox (L. fulvipes)
* South American gray fox (L. griseus)
* Pampas fox (L. gymnocercus)
* Sechuran fox (L. sechurae)
* Hoary fox (L. vetulus)

Canina
(wolf-like canids)

| Lupulella|

* Side-striped jackal (L. adustus)
* Black-backed jackal (L. mesomelas)

|

Lycaon|

* African wild dog (L. pictus)

* Dhole (Cuon alpinus)

Canis|

* Golden jackal (C. aureus)
* Domestic dog (C. familiaris)
* Coyote (C. latrans)
* African wolf (C. lupaster)
* Wolf (C. lupus)
* Eastern wolf (C. lycaon)
* Red wolf (C. rufus)
* Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis)

Arctoidea

Ursidae (bears)

| Ailuropoda|

* Giant panda (A. melanoleuca)

|

Tremarctos|

* Spectacled bear (T. ornatus)

Ursinae|

* Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)
* Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)

Ursus|

* American black bear (U. americanus)
* Asian black bear (U. thibetanus)
* Brown bear (U. arctos)
* Polar bear (U. maritimus)

| Mustelida|

| Pinnipedia (seals)|

*     * see below↓

|

Musteloidea|

*     * see below↓

Pinnipedia (seals)

| Odobenidae|

* Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)

|

Otariidae (eared seals)

| Callorhinus
(northern fur seals)|

* Northern fur seal (C. ursinus)

|

Otariinae
(sea lions)|

* Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus)

Zalophus|

* California sea lion (Z. californianus)
* Galápagos sea lion (Z. wollebaeki)

* South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens)

Neophoca|

* Australian sea lion (N. cinerea)

* New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri)

Arctocephalus
(southern fur seals)|

* South American fur seal (A. australis)
* Australasian fur seal (A. forsteri)
* Galápagos fur seal (A. galapagoensis)
* Antarctic fur seal (A. gazella)
* Juan Fernández fur seal (A. philippii)
* Brown fur seal (A. pusillus)
* Guadalupe fur seal (A. townsendi)
* Subantarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis)

Phocidae (earless seals or true seals)

Phocinae
("northern seals")

* Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus)
* Hooded seal (Cystophora cristata)

Phocini

* Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus)
* Ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata)
* Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Phoca|

* Spotted seal (P. largha)
* Harbor seal (P. vitulina)

Pusa|

* Caspian seal (P. caspica)
* Ringed seal (P. hispida)
* Baikal seal (P. sibirica)

Monachinae
("southern seals")

| Monachini
(monk seals)|

* Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus)

Neomonachus|

* Hawaiian monk seal (N. schauinslandi)

Mirounga
(elephant seals)|

* Northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris)
* Southern elephant seal (M. leonina)

Lobodontini
(Antarctic seals)|

* Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx)
* Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii)
* Crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus)
* Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossi)

Musteloidea

| Ailuridae|

* Red panda (Ailurus fulgens)

|

Mephitidae (skunks)

| Conepatus
(hog-nosed skunks)|

* Molina's hog-nosed skunk (C. chinga)
* Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (C. humboldtii)
* American hog-nosed skunk (C. leuconotus)
* Striped hog-nosed skunk (C. semistriatus)

|

Mephitis|

* Hooded skunk (M. macroura)
* Striped skunk (M. mephitis)

Mydaus
(stink badgers)|

* Sunda stink badger (M. javanensis)
* Palawan stink badger (M. marchei)

Spilogale
(spotted skunks)|

* Southern spotted skunk (S. angustifrons)
* Western spotted skunk (S. gracilis)
* Eastern spotted skunk (S. putorius)
* Pygmy spotted skunk (S. pygmaea)

Procyonidae

* Kinkajou (Potos flavus)

Bassariscus|

* Ringtail (B. astutus)
* Cacomistle (B. sumichrasti)

Procyon
(raccoons)|

* Crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus)
* Raccoon (P. lotor)
* Cozumel raccoon (P. pygmaeus)

Bassaricyon
(olingos)|

* Eastern lowland olingo (B. alleni)
* Northern olingo (B. gabbii)
* Western lowland olingo (B. medius)
* Olinguito (B. neblina)

Nasuina
(coatis)|

| Nasua|

* White-nosed coati (N. narica)
* South American coati (N. nasua)

|

Nasuella
(mountain coatis)|

* Eastern mountain coati (N. meridensis)
* Western mountain coati (N. olivacea)

| Mustelidae|

*     * see below↓

|

Mustelidae

Mustelidae

* American badger (Taxidea taxus)

Mellivora|

* Honey badger (M. capensis)

Melinae

| Arctonyx
(hog badgers)|

* Northern hog badger (A. albogularis)
* Greater hog badger (A. collaris)
* Sumatran hog badger (A. hoevenii)

|

Meles
(Eurasian badgers)|

* Japanese badger (M. anakuma)
* Caucasian badger (M. canescens)
* Asian badger (M. leucurus)
* European badger (M. meles)

Melogale
(ferret-badgers)|

* Vietnam ferret-badger (M. cucphuongensis)
* Bornean ferret badger (M. everetti)
* Chinese ferret-badger (M. moschata)
* Javan ferret-badger (M. orientalis)
* Burmese ferret-badger (M. personata)
* Formosan ferret-badger (M. subaurantiaca)

Guloninae

* Tayra (Eira barbara)

Pekania|

* Fisher (P. pennanti)

Gulo|

* Wolverine (G. gulo)

Martes
(martens)|

* American marten (M. americana)
* Pacific marten (M. caurina)
* Yellow-throated marten (M. flavigula)
* Beech marten (M. foina)
* Nilgiri marten (M. gwatkinsii)
* European pine marten (M. martes)
* Japanese marten (M. melampus)
* Sable (M. zibellina)

Ictonychinae

| Lyncodontini|

* Patagonian weasel (Lyncodon patagonicus)

Galictis
(grisons)|

* Lesser grison (G. cuja)
* Greater grison (G. vittata)

Ictonychini
(African polecats)|

| Vormela|

* Marbled polecat (V. peregusna)

|

* African striped weasel (Poecilogale albinucha)

Ictonyx|

* Saharan striped polecat (I. libycus)
* Striped polecat (I. striatus)

Lutrinae (otters)

* Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

Lontra|

* North American river otter (L. canadensis)
* Marine otter (L. felina)
* Neotropical otter (L. longicaudis)
* Southern river otter (L. provocax)

Enhydra|

* Sea otter (E. lutris)

* Spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis)

Lutra|

* Eurasian otter (L. lutra)
* Hairy-nosed otter (L. sumatrana)

Lutrogale|

* Smooth-coated otter (L. perspicillata)

Aonyx|

* African clawless otter (A. capensis)
* Asian small-clawed otter (A. cinereus)
* Congo clawless otter (A. congicus)

Mustelinae

| Neogale
(New World weasels)|

* Amazon weasel (N. africana)
* Colombian weasel (N. felipei)
* Long-tailed weasel (N. frenata)
* American mink (N. vison)

|

Mustela
(weasels)

| subgenus Mustela
(paraphyletic)|

* Sichuan weasel (M. aistoodonnivalis)
* Mountain weasel (M. altaica)
* Stoat/Beringian ermine (M. erminea)
* Haida ermine (M. haidarum)
* Yellow-bellied weasel (M. kathiah)
* Least weasel (M. nivalis)
* American ermine (M. richardsonii)

|

subgenus Lutreola
(paraphyletic)|

* Japanese weasel (M. itatsi)
* European mink (M. lutreola)
* Indonesian mountain weasel (M. lutreolina)
* Malayan weasel (M. nudipes)
* Siberian weasel (M. sibirica)
* Back-striped weasel (M. strigidorsa)

subgenus Putorius|

* Steppe polecat (M. eversmannii)
* Ferret (M. furo)
* Black-footed ferret (M. nigripes)
* European polecat (M. putorius)

* See also: Mink
* Polecat

Taxon identifiers

Martes pennanti|

* Wikidata: Q584064
* Wikispecies: Pekania pennanti
* ADW: Martes_pennanti
* BOLD: 19594
* CoL: 3Y9W5
* EoL: 328592
* GBIF: 5218855
* iNaturalist: 453109
* IRMNG: 10198732
* ITIS: 180560
* IUCN: 41651
* MSW: 14001254
* Observation.org: 84637
* Open Tree of Life: 4697
* Paleobiology Database: 47925
* SeaLifeBase: 69204

Authority control databases

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

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