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Vermont Wildlife Fact Sheet Vermont

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Vermont Wildlife Fact Sheet Vermont FISHER Martes pennanti The fisher, also known as the fishercat, pekan (French), otchock (Cree), otschilik (Ojibwan), and historically as the wejack (early European settlers), is a member of the weasel family. The variety of names attributed to this animal hints at its wide ranging, northern distribution. Other similar and closely related animals include the pine marten (Martes americana) and mink (Mustela vison). The common name fisher is likely derived from early European settlers in their acknowledgement of the animal’s superficial resemblance to the European polecat (Mustela putorius) which is sometimes referred to as the fichet or fitche. In 1794, Samuel Williams described the fisher in his publication, The Natural and Civil History of Vermont, as a “fierce and ravenous” animal “of great activity and strength.” He wrote on to say that the fisher could not “be tamed, or made to associate with our common cats.” Although the latter of these statements may be true, this relatively small, forest-dwelling carnivore is often characterized by many as being more savage than is actually deserved. Whereas the fisher has always been valued as a fur resource, it is only in more recent times that its predatory nature has been an appreciated part of Vermont’s healthy, functioning ecosystems. Vermont Wildlife Fact Sheet Physical Description dull gray-brown. The coat of Life Cycle females is generally darker and Similar to other members of silkier than that of males. Secure inside a tree cavity the Mustelid family, the fisher is a Individual fishers are commonly den, a litter of kits (one to four) is short-legged animal with a long, observed with irregularly shaped born each March. Blind, helpless, slender, muscular body which is white patches on their chests and/ and sparsely furred, the young are commonly described as appearing or armpits. completely dependent upon the “weasel-like.” Male fishers are female who cares for them with approximately 20% larger than Fishers are equally adapted no assistance from the male. Kits and twice the weight of females, for life on land as well as in the are fully furred within 18 days averaging 8 to 12 lbs. and 36” to trees. Like humans, they are and their eyes begin opening at 53 48” long (tail to nose). Their fully plantigrade in gait (walk on the days old. At 114 days, they are furred, bushy tail is approximately soles of their feet) and are very completely weaned and mobile one-third of their overall length. nimble on land; however, their and are being taught to kill prey Their pointed, wedge-like head is skeletal structure and foot on their own. At 5 months, when adorned with small, rounded ear morphology affords them great they are nearly full grown and are and sharp, black eyes. arboreal agility. Each foot has five, effective hunters, the young begin semi-retractile claws which dispersing from their mother’s Appearing primarily as black, remain sharp on account of the care. Both males and females are the fisher’s pelage varies claw’s limited contact with the capable of reproducing at one somewhat with the seasons. ground while walking. In addition year old and, in Vermont, Beginning in September and to these sharp claws used for commonly attain the age of 10 continuing through early winter, climbing, fishers have the ability years. they grow tri-colored guard hairs to rotate their hind feet 180 which dominate the dense, black degrees allowing them to descend In as little as one week after underfur and provide a water trees headfirst like a squirrel. giving birth, an adult female will resistant, insulating coat. Most Similar to the black bear and periodically leave her dependent, pronounced in males, these stiff raccoon, a fisher’s shoulder blade newborn kits in search of new guard hairs give the pelage is also designed to accommodate mates. This breeding behavior surrounding the head and specialized muscles which usually occurs from late March shoulders a grizzled, silver sheen. provide extra strength used for through April. One female will Summer pelage is less dense, and pulling its weight up the trunk of likely find many suitors during the silver sheen resulting from a tree. this season. After mating, the guard hairs has been worn to a fertilized egg remains in limbo Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department FW 1/2009 Fisher Fact Sheet ♦ 1 through a process known as Of unique interest is the though domestic cats were delayed implantation. During this fisher’s appetite for porcupine. common in the semi-rural study process, all development of the There is much speculation as to area, cat remains were identified embryo ceases for approximately how a fisher subdues this prickly in only 2% of the samples 10 to 11 months. After this time, meal but as evidence indicates, collected. Although the threat of a the fertilized egg is implanted into porcupines are most certainly a fisher attack is low, concerned cat the uterus wall and development routine part of their diet. It is owners can further reduce the of the embryo begins. Post- believed that a fisher will crowd a chance of such an attack by implantation gestation is porcupine to the outer limits of a limiting their cat’s outdoor approximately 30 to 60 days while trees’ branches thereby forcing it activities. Cats are most pre-implantation averages about to fall. The dazed, and probably susceptible to fisher predation 352 days. Females, therefore, injured, porcupine is then more during the late evening and early spend the vast majority of their susceptible to an attack on the dawn hours of spring and fall life in some stage of pregnancy. ground. It is also believed that a when fishers are most active. fisher can overcome a porcupine Outdoor cats are not only Except during the breeding without the advantage of a forced potential prey for a variety of season, fishers are solitary fall by repetitive attacks to the animals including the coyote, fox, animals. Females will defend their unquilled face. Either way is proof bobcat, great horned owl, and home ranges from other females of the fisher’s amazing agility fisher, but are also susceptible to but will allow male territories to aloft in the trees or on the ground. disease, cars, and parasites. The overlap their own. The home average life expectancy of an range size of adult females varies Fishers are active both day outdoor cat is two to five years from 3 to 8 square miles. and night with heightened while an indoor cat may survive Similarly, males also defend their activity occurring in the early for 17 years or more. Cat owners home ranges from other males but morning and late evening. They must understand that when their do not from females. Adult male will travel long distances during pets roam at large, they pose a home range size varies from 6 to short periods of time in search of significant threat to native 15 square miles. While females food. One radio-collared male, for wildlife. It has been estimated that typically stay within their home example, was found to travel over domestic cats kill hundreds of ranges throughout their life, all 60 miles in a three-day period. millions of birds each year as well territorial behavior breaks down While traveling, fishers will as many small mammals. In for males while they roam at periodically stop to investigate addition, cats roaming free are large in search of mates. possible food sources such as always at risk. porcupine dens. In areas where Food Items prey is more abundant and Habits and Habitat Contrary to what their name predictable, such as in dense, coniferous forest, they will zigzag Fisher are endemic to North implies, fishers do not typically America and have persisted here eat fish. Their feeding behavior is back and forth thereby flushing possible prey from its hiding for at least a million years as best described as being evidenced by fossil records. opportunistic — feeding on cover. While hunting, their body temperature falls forcing them to Historically, fisher occurred in whatever is seasonally abundant broad bands extending southward and readily available. Primarily seek the warmth of shelter afterwards. Temporary dens are along the ranges of the carnivorous, they will eat a Appalachian, Rocky, and Pacific variety of small to medium-sized most often found under logs, root wads, and brush piles, in the Coast mountains and were mammals including mice, moles, prevalent throughout all of New voles, shrews, squirrels, muskrats, cavities of hollow trees, or beneath the snow. England and most of Canada woodchucks, snowshoe hares, northward to the Yukon, and occasionally even a fawn. While fishers will un- Northwest Territories, and Fishers have also been known to doubtedly dine upon domestic Labrador. Within the last 200 consume a variety of songbirds cats, the occurrence of cat in their years, however, their distribution (as well as grouse and wild diet is relatively low. One study, has varied dramatically as a result turkey), reptiles, amphibians, and conducted in north-central of human influence. The insects. Apples, cherries, Massachusetts examined 169 scats landscape-scale removal of raspberries, beechnuts, and acorns and 57 gastrointestinal tracts of forests, European settlement, and are also significant in the fisher’s fishers in an attempt to determine unregulated trapping diet. their seasonal food habits. Even characteristic of the 1800s, Fisher Fact Sheet ♦ 2 severely reduced or eliminated restricted their occurrence to Occasionally, fisher may be fisher populations from much of small, remote pockets of habitat. pierced by porcupine quills (9- their southern habitat including In reaction to the possibility of 15% of the population). However, Vermont. Thankfully, throughout complete extirpation, the Vermont it is rare that these cause any this time period, a stronghold of legislature closed the fisher significant damage.
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