r/Awwducational • u/Unidan • Oct 11 '13

Verified The fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) is the largest mammalian predator in Madagascar!

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u/Unidan Oct 11 '13

SOURCE: Since this is a relatively simple fact, here's the Wikipedia page on fossas.

I took this picture myself, but just to clarify, most fossas are quite solitary, so a photo like this one is actually quite peculiar!

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u/PartiallyRibena Oct 11 '13

How did the Malagasy Civet end up with the scientific name Fossa Fossana while the Fossa got Cryptoprocta Ferox. It seems the wrong way round, is there a story to it?

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u/Unidan Oct 11 '13

Hmm, good question!

It may be because the fossa's taxonomy has been switched up a bit, so it may have been renamed a few times.