# Fossa (*Cryptoprocta ferox*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/fossa  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) is a medium-sized mammal of the order Carnivora and the family Eupleridae, subfamily Euplerinae. It is a nocturnal, scansorial carnivore, with an adult body mass of 9.5 kg and values from 7 to 12 kg reported by sources. Gestation lasts 91.31 days, litters hold 3 young (from 2 to 4), females have 1 litter per year, and sexual maturity comes at 4.1 years. The fossa is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, an IUCN threatened category, and has a lifespan of 20 years, with up to 23.1 years reported.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 7 kg – 12 kg |
| Length | 70 cm – 80 cm |
| Lifespan | 20 years – 23.1 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 91.3 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2 – 4 |
| Age at maturity | 4.1 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Scansorial |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Eupleridae
- genus: Cryptoprocta
- species: *Cryptoprocta ferox* Bennett, 1833

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a fossa?

The fossa is a mammal in the order Carnivora, suborder Feliformia, and the family Eupleridae.

### How heavy is a fossa?

An adult fossa weighs 9.5 kg, with values from 7 to 12 kg reported by sources.

### What does the fossa eat?

The fossa is a carnivore.

### Is the fossa endangered?

The fossa is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, which is an IUCN threatened category.

### How long does a fossa live?

The fossa has a lifespan of 20 years, with values up to 23.1 years reported by sources.

### How many young does a fossa have?

A fossa has 3 young per litter, with litters from 2 to 4, and 1 litter per year after a gestation of 91.31 days.

### Is the fossa active at night?

Yes, the fossa is nocturnal, and its lifestyle is scansorial.

### Who named the fossa?

The fossa, Cryptoprocta ferox, was named by Bennett, 1833.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/fossa