The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a small, carnivorous mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family (commonly referred to as the weasel family), and is sometimes misleadingly referred to as a fisher cat, although it is not a cat. The fisher is closely related to, but larger than, the American marten and Pacific marten. In some regions, the fisher is known as a pekan, derived from its name in the Abenaki language, or wejack, an Algonquian word (cf. Cree wuchak, otchock, Ojibwa ojiig ) borrowed by fur traders. These forest-dwelling creatures have been trapped since the 18th century for their fur. Their pelts were in such demand that they were extirpated from several parts of the United States in the early part of the 20th century.
Cr
CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
Om
OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Ar
ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Sc
ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
Te
TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Vi
ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Pr
PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
So
SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
F
starts withCa
Canada Province AnimalsFl
Fluffy AnimalsFishers are medium in size and their bodies are long, thin, and low to the ground. Males have coarser coats than females. In the early winter, their coats are dense and glossy. The color ranges from deep brown to black, although it appears to be much blacker in the winter when contrasted with white snow. From the face to the shoulders, fur can be hoary-gold or silver due to tricolored guard hairs. The underside of a fisher is almost completely brown except for randomly placed patches of white or cream-colored fur. In the summer, the fur color is more variable and may lighten considerably. Fishers undergo molting starting in late summer and finishing by November or December. Fishers have five toes on each foot, with unsheathed, retractable claws. Their feet are large, making it easier for them to move on top of snowpacks.
Fishers are widespread throughout the northern forests of North America. They are found from Nova Scotia in the east to the Pacific shore of British Columbia and Alaska. They can be found as far north as Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories and as far south as the mountains of Oregon. Isolated populations occur in the Sierra Nevada of California, throughout New England, and the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. Fishers do not migrate and live in extensive conifer forests typical of the boreal forest but are also common in mixed-hardwood and conifer forests. They prefer areas with continuous overhead cover and are more likely to be found in old-growth forests. Fishers also select forest floors with large amounts of coarse woody debris and tend to avoid areas with deep snow.
Fishers are generally crepuscular animals that are most active at dawn and dusk. They are solitary and associate with other fishers only for mating. Males become more active during the mating season. Females are least active during pregnancy and gradually increase activity after the birth of their kits. Fishers are competent tree climbers, but they spend most of their time on the forest floor. They are able to travel many miles along ridges in search of prey. They usually shelter in hollow trees, logs, stumps, holes in the ground, rock crevices, and dens of other animals. During the wintertime, these animals will use burrows under the snow with long and narrow tunnels. Fishers have very keen senses of smell, sight, and hearing. They communicate with each other with the help of scent marking. They have a circular patch of hair on the central pad of their hind paws marks plantar glands that give off a distinctive odor. Since these patches become enlarged during the breeding season, they are likely used to make a scent trail to allow fishers to find each other so they can mate.
Despite their name, fishers are omnivores and feed on a wide variety of small animals; however, their primary prey is snowshoe hares and porcupines. They also supplement their diet with various insects, nuts, berries, and mushrooms.
Little is known about the mating system in fishers. They usually breed in late March-early April. Egg implantation is then delayed for 10 months until mid-February of the following year when active pregnancy begins. After gestating for about 50 days, the female gives birth to 1-4 kits. Young are born blind and helpless in dens that are located in hollow trees. Kits begin to crawl after about 3 weeks and after about 7 weeks, they open their eyes. After 8 weeks they start to climb and are completely dependent on their mother's milk for the first 8-10 weeks. After that, they begin to switch to a solid diet. Males do not help raise their young. After 4 months, kits become intolerant of their litter mates, and at 5 months, the mother pushes them out on their own. Females reach reproductive maturity at 1 year of age, while males become reproductively mature when they are 2 years old.
Fishers have been trapped since the 18th century. They have been popular with trappers due to the value of their fur, which has been used for scarves and neckpieces. Their pelts were in such demand that they were extirpated from several parts of the United States in the early part of the 20th century. In the 1920s, when pelt prices were high, some fur farmers attempted to raise fishers. However, their unusually delayed reproduction made breeding difficult. When pelt prices fell in the late 1940s, most fisher farming ended. While fishers usually avoid human contact, encroachments into forest habitats have resulted in some conflicts as well. In some areas, fishers can become pests to farmers when they raid chicken coops.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the fisher total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Due to their diet habits, fishers are essential predators in their ecosystems and help control populations of the prey species.