Fisher: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Weasels and Badgers · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Fishers can turn their hind paws nearly 180°, so they can climb down trees head-first. Few mammals can.
2. Fishers like snowshoe hares best, and they are among the very few hunters that can catch porcupines.
3. Despite its name, a fisher rarely eats fish. And it is not a feline, even if some call it a fisher cat.
4. A fisher pregnancy pauses for ten months, then active pregnancy lasts about 50 days.
5. Male fishers can be twice the size of females: 3.5-6 kg, against 2.0-2.5 kg for females.

The quiz

1. What lets fishers climb down trees head-first?

• Their long tail
• Turning their hind paws nearly 180° (correct)
• Sticky pads on their feet
• Wings

Fishers can rotate their hind paws nearly 180°.

2. Which prickly animal can fishers successfully prey on?

• The hedgehog
• The pangolin
• The echidna
• The porcupine (correct)

Few animals can hunt porcupines successfully, and the fisher is one of them.

3. What does a fisher rarely eat, despite its name?

• Fish (correct)
• Hares
• Berries
• Squirrels

Despite its name, a fisher rarely eats fish.

4. How long does a fisher's active pregnancy last?

• About 5 days
• About 150 days
• About 50 days (correct)
• About 10 days

Active pregnancy lasts about 50 days, after a ten-month pause.

5. How heavy can male fishers get?

• 0.5-1 kg
• 10-15 kg
• 20-25 kg
• 3.5-6 kg (correct)

Male fishers reach 3.5-6 kg, about twice a female's size.

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