Description

Distinguishing Features - Overall colouration, thick, lustrous fur, varying from dark brown to black; random whitish to cream coloured patches on chest. In winter, colouration tends to be darker. Legs, short; claws, semi-retractable.

Size -
Male: .84 - 1.05 m (2.8 - 3.5 ft)
Female: .75 - .93 m (2.5 - 3.1 ft)

Habitat

Throughout Northwestern Ontario, preferring mature coniferous forests with heavy overhead canopy near water; stays clear of open areas.

Diet

Primarily a carnivore. The fisher is one of the few animals that will kill a porcupine. It will also eat anything else it can overwhelm; rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, insects, reptiles, fish, crayfish and carrion; some berries, seeds and tips of ferns.

Notes

The fisher is a wide-ranging, year round hunter, preferring to venture out at night. Because it has few natural enemies, the fisher population has remained stable. A female will produce one litter of 2 - 3 offspring a year.

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