Fanaluka - a romantic Madagascar barrel on legs (7 photos + 1 video)

This creature looks like a fox. But on the other hand, it’s a clean mouse. Or a ferret. Although, these spots...





In fact, the fanaluka or fanaloka (lat. Fossa fossana) is endemic to Madagascar and the only representative of the genus Fossa is the Malagasy striped civet.



The species was discovered and first described in 1777 by the German zoologist Philipp-Ludwig-Stacius Müller. Apparently, these unusual creatures are closer to cats than to dogs. And indirectly this confirms the secrecy of minke whales.

To get to know Fanaluca better, you will have to travel a lot around Madagascar. The animal loves dampness and loneliness and prefers to settle near bodies of water. Therefore, its habitat is limited to a small hilly strip on the east coast.





Fanaluks are true romantics. They create a strong pair, and at nightfall they go hunting together, catching eggs, insects, small rodents and even reptiles. The animals fortify their striped organism with fruits. In fact, the predator catches everything that can be caught and eats everything that can be eaten. There are no problems with food in Madagascar. Some of its varieties just don’t climb into their mouths. The fox-like beauty stores the excess, accumulating it in the cheeks, tummy and, most importantly, the tail, which in a good year turns into something like a solid log.



They diligently protect their territory of just over 5 square kilometers from encroachment, marking it with a special secretion secreted by glands on the cheeks and neck. Fanaluka is a very shy and cautious creature. Which is logical, because life expectancy depends on it. Animals communicate with each other using a set of sounds reminiscent of clicking and clattering.



In August, hormones reach their peak. And three months later, a new family member is born. The baby weighs less than 100 grams, is completely helpless and depends on his parents for six months. The young fanaluken lives with them for up to a year, learning all the wisdom, and then goes into adulthood to start his own family.



Initially, this cat-like cutie had few natural enemies. But then Europeans appeared on the island, taking with them dogs, cats, and Indian civets. The locals were not prepared for such an onslaught. As a result, the population has decreased by almost a third in the last couple of decades alone.



Of course, it depends only on people whether this small predator will fall into the category of endangered. But it would be a great pity to lose an ancient animal that confirms the fact that local mammals have a common ancestor.