Robert Siegel
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Malagasy carnivores: civets, fossa, mongooses
Order: Carnivora
Family: Eupleridae
Species on page
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Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana)
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Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
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Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
The carnivores of
Madagascar
appear to be monophyletic. That is to say, they have a common genetic ancestor.
Their closest living relatives are the African mongoose.
After arriving on the island, presumably by rafting there on a floating island,
they have undergone an adaptive radiation to fill a variety of niches.
In some cases, they have undergone a series of adaptive changes that cause them ro resemble unrelated carnivores.
Such cases of convergent evolution are perhaps most strikingly illustrated by the case of the fossa which looks like a mountain lion - complete wtih cat like pupils adapted to night vision.
The names of the Malagasy carnivores can be a bit confusing.
For example, the animal commonly known as "the fossa" is actually not in the genus Fossa.
However, the animal known as the Malagasy civet, which is not a civet at all
(see below), is in the genus Fossa.
Similiarly, the ring-tailed mongoose, while resembling an ancestral mongoose,
is not a true mongoose and is more closely related to the other Malagasy carnivores.
I have been lucky enough to photograph three of these remarkable creatures.
Madagascar civet (Fossa fossana)
Note: Civets
are a heterogeneous group of feliform (cat-like) carnivores.
They include some but not all members of the Viverridae and the Eupleridae families.
For instance, fossa, which are not considered civets,
are more closely related to the Malagasy civets,
than either of these group are to the African civets.
Something of interest
Ranomafana
August 7, 2007
"Is that Bob?"
Ranomafana
August 7, 2007
"Yes, I believe it is."
Ranomafana
August 7, 2007
Incisive image
Ranomafana
August 7, 2007
Mating pair
Ranomafana
August 7, 2007
Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Voila mon goose
Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Family: Eupleridae
Ranomafana
July, 2013
Head to tail
Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Family: Eupleridae
Ranomafana
July, 2013
"Yes, I can stick out my tongue and touch my nose."
Ranomafana, Madagascar
July, 2013>
When mongeese pretend they are tigers.
Ranomafana, Madagascar
July, 2013
Ring-tailed mongoose
Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Amber Mountain, Madagascar
Canon 5Dmark2
July 6, 2016
Ring-tailed mongoose on tsingy
Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans)
Bemaraha, Madagascar
Canon 7Dmark2
July 14, 2016
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
The fossa!
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Family: Eupleridae
July, 2013
Fossa
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Tsimbazaza Zoo
Antananarivo, Madagascar
August 18, 2007
Fossa
Tsimbazaza Zoo
Antananarivo, Madagascar
August 18, 2007
Fossa intensity
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Kirindy, Madagascar
July 12, 2016
Canon 7Dmark2
Fossa tongue
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Kirindy, Madagascar
July 12, 2016
Canon 7Dmark2
Fossa as sphinx
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Kirindy, Madagascar
July 12, 2016
Canon 7Dmark2
Fossa drinking
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Kirindy, Madagascar
July 12, 2016
Canon 7Dmark2
Fossa - stuffed
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
Natural History museum
Tsimbazaza
Tana, Madagascar
June 21, 2016
Canon rebel T5i
Related pages:
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African civets
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Palm civets
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Malagasy civets
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Genets
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modified: September 24, 2016 (from civet.html)
created: March 5, 2013
Contact: siegelr@stanford.edu
All pictures are protected by copyright. Do not use without permission.