fisher
(Pekania pennanti)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
The fur (pelage) is dark brown to nearly black with white-tipped hairs over the head and shoulders giving it a frosted appearance. |
Size |
Total length: 29″ to 47″ Head and body: 20″ to 25″ Tail: 13″ to 15″ |
Sign |
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Similar Species |
Habitat |
Deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests with low or closed canopies |
Biology |
Behavior |
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Lifespan |
10 years |
Life Cycle |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 4/4/2024 | ||
Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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Class |
Mammalia (mammals) |
Subclass |
Theria |
Infraclass |
Placentalia (placental mammals) |
Magnorder |
Boreoeutheria |
Superorder |
Laurasiatheria (ungulates, carnivorans, and allies) |
Order |
Carnivora (carnivorans) |
Suborder |
Caniformia (dog-like carnivores) |
Infraorder |
Arctoidea |
Parvorder |
Mustelida |
Family |
Mustelidae (mustelids) |
Subfamily |
Guloninae (wolverines, martens, and tayras) |
Genus |
Pekania (Fisher “Cats”) |
Subfamily Species |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Some authorities recognize three subspecies. Others consider the species monotypic (having only one immediately subordinate taxon.) |
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British Columbia fisher (Martes pennanti columbiana) fisher (Martes pennanti pennanti) Pacific fisher (Martes pennanti pacifica) |
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Synonyms |
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Martes pennanti |
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Common Names |
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fisher |
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Glossary
Pelage
The coat of a mammal, consisting of fur, wool, or hair, and including a soft undercoat and stiff guard hairs.
Visitor Photos |
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Dave Dosh |
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Best of 6 trail cam pics captured over 3 week span. |
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Pat Brice |
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Fisher Sighting on Trail Cam - Possibly This is not a cat and the previous two cam images showed a dark blur as this animal leapt a couple times and then sat where the trail cam photographed it. After researching possibilities (marten, weasel, cat), the most likely animal that this appears to be is a Fisher. The size, body shape, and thick tail are not like any other animal. A search of the Minnesota DNR website and other Minnesota sites shows that they have been seen in Houston county. |
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Christa Schwen |
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Trail Cam |
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Alisa Hornberg |
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Caught on trail cam |
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Dan W. Andree |
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"Fisher photos".... An interesting animal larger than a mink.... It seemed curious about me and only got anxious when it wanted to come down out of the tree. I was below and it got a little nervous and started making these little chuckling sounds so I backed away and it came down the back of the tree peeking around keeping an eye on me and then scampered off away into the woods. I did not seem threatening at all. |
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Jamie Waltzing |
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| Trail camera Photo. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
Fisher |
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Fishers 14 Sept 2015 |
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Visitor Videos |
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Dan W. Andree |
A "Fisher" in a tree. |
About
Fishers are members of the weasel family. They sometimes get a bad rap as a vicious, dangerous animal. While they can be vicious in surviving in the wild they usually are not a threat to humans. I am in their territory a lot and have followed their tracks in winter and yet have only seen them a few times. This fisher got a little anxious wanting to come down out of the tree, so I backed off and let him down. He had sat there peacefully for several minutes not minding me at all. |
Other Videos |
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Fisher (Pekania pennanti) |
About
Uploaded on Jun 21, 2011 Fisher seen outside the Wildlands Trust office in Duxbury, MA |
Fisher "Pekania pennanti" |
About
Published on Aug 19, 2012 This is by far my best Fisher video to date. Taken two hundred feet from the house. Mather Creek Drainage, Fieldbrook, California. 8-19-2012, 8:00 am |
IMG 0171 |
About
Published on Sep 4, 2014 Fisher (Pekania pennanti) in our yard near Cedar Pond. |
Fishers (Pekania pennanti) 14 Sept 2015 |
About
Published on Sep 21, 2015 This pair (mother and kit; id'd by an expert on Fishers) was found by Elias Elias along the Arcata Ridge Trail in Arcata, Humboldt County, CA. Northwestern CA generally supports a decent population of Fishers but most of them are found inland, not along the coastal slope like these two were. |
Fisher at bait |
About
Uploaded on Feb 25, 2011 Game cam footage of a fisher (Pekania pennanti) on Brush Mountain in Central Pennsylvania, an area where fishers had been extirpated for over a hundred years. |
Visitor Sightings |
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Dave Dosh |
Location: Sherburne County Best of 6 trail cam pics captured over 3 week span. |
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| Christa Schwen 5/3/2023 |
Location: Houston County, about 2 miles north of Money Creek, west of Hwy 76. This is not a cat and the previous two cam images showed a dark blur as this animal leapt a couple times and then sat where the trail cam photographed it. After researching possibilities (marten, weasel, cat), the most likely animal that this appears to be is a Fisher. The size, body shape, and thick tail are not like any other animal. |
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A search of the Minnesota DNR website and other Minnesota sites shows that they have been seen in Houston county. |
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| Tim Kirkman 4/6/2021 |
Location: Carver County / Hollywood Township I had one run across our farm's orchard in broad daylight. Seemed to be heading toward a nearby marshy area. |
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| Christa Schwen 4/19/2020 |
Location: Ogilvie, MN Trail Cam |
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| Joy Kemple 4/7/2020 |
Location: Twin Valley I seen one run right through my front yard at about 7 AM. I live about a mile north of the Dam in Twin Valley. It was very plump and running towards the turkey farm. I noticed that I don't have rabbits running all over the place anymore like I used to have. And there was a porcupine spotted in my tree last fall and I sure hope he got it. I also noticed that I did not have one mouse in my house this year or my Barn Bldg. and I didn't put out any Poison only traps and only caught one mouse in a trap last fall. And it seems the squirrels all disappeared also, which is a good thing because they were getting out of hand. I don't have any pets but lots of deer hang out in my yard and wild turkeys were hanging out here last fall but maybe the Fisher had a good Thanksgiving...he looked really fat. I will try to get a picture of him tomorrow morning if he comes back. |
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| Alisa Hornberg 9/24/2019 |
Location: Homer Valley, Winona County Caught on trail cam |
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| Dan W. Andree |
Location: I filmed and photographed this fisher a few years or so back in the woods along the Wild Rice River in Norman Co. Mn. They do exist there today as I have seen tracks in the snow and occasional glimpse near a water hole in the woods in summer since. It seemed curious about me and only got anxious when it wanted to come down out of the tree. I was below and it got a |
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little nervous and started making these little chuckling sounds so I backed away and it came down the back of the tree peeking around keeping an eye on me and then scampered off away into the woods. I did not seem threatening at all. |
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| Jamie Waltzing 8/1/2017 7:25 AM |
Location: East of Miltona MN, south of Rose City. This is the approximate intersection: County 68 and Willow Road Trail camera Photo. |
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