https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/09/Weasel-like-fishers-prey-on-Canada-Lynx-in-Maine-news/&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoSMjY1OTYyNTk2Nzk3MDQ2NjA4MhoxZmJhYzQ2ZmJmZTI3YzM4OmNvbTplbjpVUw&usg=AFQjCNGcrlNvhDYBrDKhN6sj-UTIFCKW1A
Small Weasel-Like
Animals(Fishers) Are
Taking Down Big Cats
Two elusive predators, the
lynx and
the fisher, battle to the
death in
the snowstorms of New
England.
Joshua Rapp Learn; 9/28/18
Looks fierce? Not according to fishers, half their size.
New researchers shows the weasels aren’t daunted
at taking Canada lynx out for dinner – literally preying
on the cats in Maine.
New researchers shows the weasels aren’t daunted
at taking Canada lynx out for dinner – literally preying
on the cats in Maine.
PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM FITZHARRIS,
MINDEN PICTURES/ NAT GEO IMAGE
COLLECTION
MINDEN PICTURES/ NAT GEO IMAGE
COLLECTION
Don’t let the cute face distract you. Fishers are calculating predators, killing lynx and other animals by going straight for their necks.PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM FITZHARRIS,MINDEN PICTURES/NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
IN THE EMPTY winter forests of Maine,
small weasel-like animals known as fishers
bet against their mortal odds when it comes
to food and survival.
small weasel-like animals known as fishers
bet against their mortal odds when it comes
to food and survival.
New research shows for the first time that
these opportunistic predators—not much
larger than a big house cat—can and do take
down Canadian lynx, which can grow up to
double their size. (Related: Fierce, Furry
Fishers Are Expanding Their Range—and Bulk.)
these opportunistic predators—not much
larger than a big house cat—can and do take
down Canadian lynx, which can grow up to
double their size. (Related: Fierce, Furry
Fishers Are Expanding Their Range—and Bulk.)
“A fisher really doesn’t have any boundaries in
the size of the animal it’s willing to attack,”
says Scott McLellan, assistant regional wildlife
biologist with the Maine Department of
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the lead
author of a study published recently in the
Journal of Wildlife Management.
the size of the animal it’s willing to attack,”
says Scott McLellan, assistant regional wildlife
biologist with the Maine Department of
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the lead
author of a study published recently in the
Journal of Wildlife Management.
“We know that fishers are very opportunistic
,” he says. “They are just a ball of fury.”
(Watch: Hear a fisher's scream.)
,” he says. “They are just a ball of fury.”
(Watch: Hear a fisher's scream.)
Scene of the Crime
While researchers never witnessed an attack
firsthand, McLellan’s and his coauthors’ “
scavenger hunt” for these attacks started
with putting radio collars on lynx to track
the cats’ movements in Maine from 1999
and 2011. When they suspected that a lynx
had met its end, they would track down the
location of the collar.
firsthand, McLellan’s and his coauthors’ “
scavenger hunt” for these attacks started
with putting radio collars on lynx to track
the cats’ movements in Maine from 1999
and 2011. When they suspected that a lynx
had met its end, they would track down the
location of the collar.
Scene of the Crime
While researchers never witnessed an attack
firsthand, McLellan’s and his coauthors’
“scavenger hunt” for these attacks started
with putting radio collars on lynx to track
the cats’ movements in Maine from 1999
and 2011. When they suspected that a lynx
had met its end, they would track down the
location of the collar.
firsthand, McLellan’s and his coauthors’
“scavenger hunt” for these attacks started
with putting radio collars on lynx to track
the cats’ movements in Maine from 1999
and 2011. When they suspected that a lynx
had met its end, they would track down the
location of the collar.
At this point, piecing together the evidence
was a little like forensic anthropology at a
crime scene. They would try to find the legs
and various parts of the cat—especially the
neck and head, which could show bite marks
as evidence of a fisher kill and rule out the
possibility that the weasel just stumbled
across a lynx who had recently died.
was a little like forensic anthropology at a
crime scene. They would try to find the legs
and various parts of the cat—especially the
neck and head, which could show bite marks
as evidence of a fisher kill and rule out the
possibility that the weasel just stumbled
across a lynx who had recently died.
Lucky for the researchers, many of these
attacks happened during the dead of
winter and evidence could be seen in the snow.
attacks happened during the dead of
winter and evidence could be seen in the snow.
Researchers found that before the attack
happened, they would often see the fisher
tracks connect with those of the lynx,
indicating the weasels had picked up the
cats’ trail.
happened, they would often see the fisher
tracks connect with those of the lynx,
indicating the weasels had picked up the
cats’ trail.
A Ghost In A Snowstorm
Based on the appearance of the tracks, an
attack by a fisher on a lynx would often
happen in the middle of a quick snowstorm,
which may have worked to the advantage of
these vicious little predators. A fisher would
attack, often when the cat was bedded down
to wait out the snow flurry, going right for
the lynx’s neck.
attack by a fisher on a lynx would often
happen in the middle of a quick snowstorm,
which may have worked to the advantage of
these vicious little predators. A fisher would
attack, often when the cat was bedded down
to wait out the snow flurry, going right for
the lynx’s neck.
“They just buckle on. They have a pretty
powerful grip and they know where to attack,”
McLellan says, adding that the fishers would
finish the cats off pretty quickly. “There was
some struggle certainly, but it didn’t appear
to last very long. There were some broken
branches, tufts of fur, and claw marks wher
e the lynx was trying to get away.”
powerful grip and they know where to attack,”
McLellan says, adding that the fishers would
finish the cats off pretty quickly. “There was
some struggle certainly, but it didn’t appear
to last very long. There were some broken
branches, tufts of fur, and claw marks wher
e the lynx was trying to get away.”
Once the lynx were dead, the fun had just
begun for the gruesome fishers. The weasels
would begin to dismember the fresh lynx
carcass and hide pieces in various places,
likely since it couldn’t eat the whole 20-to-
30-pound body in a single sitting.
begun for the gruesome fishers. The weasels
would begin to dismember the fresh lynx
carcass and hide pieces in various places,
likely since it couldn’t eat the whole 20-to-
30-pound body in a single sitting.
“It might drag a leg up into a tree. It might
drag a leg into a brush pile or under the
snow somewhere,” he says, adding that
they would also remove the heads sometimes.
drag a leg into a brush pile or under the
snow somewhere,” he says, adding that
they would also remove the heads sometimes.
Feline Revenge
There is evidence, though, that some lynx
were not passive prey items, McLellan says.
“In some cases we found fisher hair stuck in
the mouth of the dead lynx, so there was
obviously some effort on the lynx’s part to
defend itself,” he says. But he is unsure
whether lynx ever beat the fishers in
these mortal battles, or whether they
sometimes even prey on the weasels.
were not passive prey items, McLellan says.
“In some cases we found fisher hair stuck in
the mouth of the dead lynx, so there was
obviously some effort on the lynx’s part to
defend itself,” he says. But he is unsure
whether lynx ever beat the fishers in
these mortal battles, or whether they
sometimes even prey on the weasels.
On the other hand, bobcats—close
relatives of lynx—turn the tables on the
feisty fishers, according to research by
Greta Wengert, cofounder of the Integral
Ecology Research Center, a non-profit
organization dedicated to the research
and conservation of wildlife and their
ecosystems.
relatives of lynx—turn the tables on the
feisty fishers, according to research by
Greta Wengert, cofounder of the Integral
Ecology Research Center, a non-profit
organization dedicated to the research
and conservation of wildlife and their
ecosystems.
“Pretty quickly it became evident that
bobcats were the main predators, at
least on female fishers,” she says,
adding that she and other researchers
are focusing a lot of attention on
Western subspecies of fishers due to
ongoing research by the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service into possibly
listing those animals as endangered
or threatened.
bobcats were the main predators, at
least on female fishers,” she says,
adding that she and other researchers
are focusing a lot of attention on
Western subspecies of fishers due to
ongoing research by the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service into possibly
listing those animals as endangered
or threatened.
According to her, the western
subspecies of fishers are often a little
smaller than their eastern counterparts,
which may be enough to tip the scales
in favor of the felines. Bobcats are also
a little smaller than lynx.
subspecies of fishers are often a little
smaller than their eastern counterparts,
which may be enough to tip the scales
in favor of the felines. Bobcats are also
a little smaller than lynx.
But once again, size can be deceiving.
“Bobcat and felid researchers weren’t
completely surprised because [bobcats]
are known to be more aggressive—
more power pound for pound [than lynx],”
Wengert says.
completely surprised because [bobcats]
are known to be more aggressive—
more power pound for pound [than lynx],”
Wengert says.
Worlds Apart
McLellan says that his team found
about a dozen examples of fisher
predation on lynx in their four
township area of Maine over the
roughly 12 years of study, and
suspected a few more cases. But
while these cats certainly meet a
grisly end, this interaction doesn’t
seem to have any negative population
effects on the lynx, whose population
has actually been growing over the
study period.
about a dozen examples of fisher
predation on lynx in their four
township area of Maine over the
roughly 12 years of study, and
suspected a few more cases. But
while these cats certainly meet a
grisly end, this interaction doesn’t
seem to have any negative population
effects on the lynx, whose population
has actually been growing over the
study period.
The newly discovered interaction
speaks to the fact that different animals
have different ecological niches, and
McLellan would like to learn more
about these interactions: “If I had my
way, we’d be putting more collars on
both fishers and lynx.”
speaks to the fact that different animals
have different ecological niches, and
McLellan would like to learn more
about these interactions: “If I had my
way, we’d be putting more collars on
both fishers and lynx.”
He is unsure whether fishers take on
other unruly predators besides lynx in
the area, but he says it’s possible they
might take out a creature like a coyote.
other unruly predators besides lynx in
the area, but he says it’s possible they
might take out a creature like a coyote.
“If a fisher can get a hold of the neck of
an animal, they are willing to hold on
for dear life,” he says.
an animal, they are willing to hold on
for dear life,” he says.
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