A fisher is a medium-sized carnivorous mammal in the weasel family (mustelids), not a fish or a cat.

What a fisher is

  • A fisher (scientific name Pekania pennanti) is a forest-dwelling mammal native to North America.
  • It belongs to the mustelid family, the same group as weasels, martens, otters, and mink.

Basic appearance

  • Fishers have long, low bodies, short legs, small rounded ears, and a bushy tail, giving them a stretched-out, weasel-like look.
  • Their fur is usually dark brown to nearly black, often with a lighter or mottled area on the chest or neck.

Behavior and diet

  • Fishers are agile predators and excellent climbers; they can rotate their hind feet to climb down trees headfirst.
  • Despite the name, they rarely eat fish; they mainly hunt small to mid-sized mammals (like squirrels and hares) and are one of the few animals that can kill porcupines.

Habitat and range

  • Fishers live mostly in forests, especially mature or mixed woodlands with plenty of cover and fallen logs.
  • Their range includes much of Canada and parts of the northern United States, with some populations in the Northeast and upper Midwest.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.