Fisher: Spotted on a Trail Camera in Hopkinton

Fishers are forest-dwelling animals with a distribution that spans much of the boreal forest in Canada and the northern United States. They are similar but larger than the American marten and the Pacific marten. They belong to the mustelid (weasel) family and are the sole extant representative of the genus Pekania.

Fishers average 32 to 40 inches long, with the tail providing another 12 to 16 inches to the body. They are usually slightly bigger than a domestic house cat with females half the size of males. Their fur coats are seasonally variable, getting thicker and shinier in the winter and more spotted in the summer during moult. Fishers possess short legs, broad heads, bushy tails, and small, rounded, erect ears.

Fishers inhabit North American forests, mainly in Canada, the northwestern United States, and California, but they are increasingly appearing in eastern states. Though nimble climbers, they mostly stay on the forest floor, rummaging around fallen trees. Their speed makes it easy to mistake them for other weasels or household cats.

Fishers are omnivores and eat a range of small animals, fruits, and mushrooms. They prefer snowshoe hares and are among the few animals that successfully prey on porcupines. They also consume mice, squirrels, and other small mammals.

Fishers have few predators other than people. Humans trapped them for their fur since the 18th century, leading to their local extirpation in the early 20th century. Conservation efforts and protection measures now aim to help them recover, but their current range remains smaller than their historical range.

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