Anatomy: The fossa is a sleek, furry animal that looks like a cross between a cat and a dog. It has large eyes, large rounded ears, sharp teeth, retractible curved claws, webbed feet, a dog-like snout, long whiskers, a long tail, and short, brown to black fur. It has a flat-footed (plantigrade) stance. The fossa is about 28-36 inches (70 - 90 cm) long, plus a tail which is from 28-34 inches (70 - 85 cm) long. It weighs about 20 to 33 pounds (9 - 15 kg).

Diet: The fossa is a carnivore (a meat-eater). It is a ferocious hunter that eats small animals, like lemurs, rodents, , and reptiles (like snakes), insects, and some domesticated animals (like chickens and small pigs).

Pups: Baby fossa are born blind and toothless. The mother cares for the young for about a year. They do not breed until they are about 3-4 years old.

Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia (mammals), Family Viverridae, Subfamily Cryptoproctinae, Genus Cryptoprocta, Species C. ferox.