Fisher

Martes pennanti

Nobody knows why the Fisher got its name, for it doesn't eat fish. Its favorite foods are Common Porcupines and Snowshoe Hares. It isn't easy to kill a porcupine, but the Fisher is smart and agile enough to do it, although occasionally a Fisher is injured or even killed by the quills. If disturbed, the Fisher hunches its back like a cat and may hiss, growl, snarl, or spit. It has been hunted for its fur and has disappeared from many areas where it once lived.

Look For : An animal similar to the marten but larger and darker. Eats porcupines; droppings often contain quills.

Length : Body 19-24" long.

Habitat : Northern pine forests.

Range : Southern half of Canada south to parts of California, Rocky Mts., Utah, New York, and New England.