Show of hands: how many of you didn’t know what a Fossa was the first time you watched Madagascar? I’ll admit, I didn’t (I actually thought it was some sort of fictional monster they created for the film).
Had I had a copy of Ken Behrens’ and Keith Barnes’ Wildlife of Madagascar, I would have quickly been able to discover that the somewhat cat-like Cryptoprocta ferox, commonly called Fossa, do indeed exist and hold a prominent position as the largest predator on the island. And yes, their diet does indeed include lemurs.
As the most recent addition to the WILDGuides Wildlife Explorer Guides series from Princeton University Press, Wildlife of Madagascar covers mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies, and some of the other invertebrates and plants, most likely to be seen, making it the most comprehensive single-volume reference to the fascinating creatures inhabiting the island’s unique ecosystem.
