Mammals · Carnivora · Mustelidae

Fisher

Pekania pennanti

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The fisher, also known as the pekan or Pennant's marten, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Mustelidae, the only species in the genus Pekania. It lives mainly in the Sierra Nevada of California and in the Appalachian Mountains, although it is also present in New England, southern Alaska and most of Canada. It stands some 25 cm tall and measures 50 cm from head to the base of the tail, which is about 30 cm long. An adult weighs around 1.5 kg.

Weight

2 kg – 6 kg

Size

75 cm – 1.2 m

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestCarnivore Variable activity Solitary Temperate forest Mammal

2countries 29parks28same family

Fun facts

GeneralOne of the few predators able to kill porcupines, by going for the face.
It is one of the few predators able to kill porcupines: it attacks them repeatedly in the face, the only area without quills, until they are exhausted.
It can come down a tree head first because its ankles rotate 180 degrees, an adaptation it shares with very few carnivores.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Mature boreal and coniferous forest
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 11 months (delayed implantation; actual embryonic development, about 50 days)
Litter / clutch size: 3

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pekania_pennanti