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NatureMapping Animal Fact Sheet for Grades K-6
Fisher Facts
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Fisher (Martes pennanti) Local names: Pacific fisher, black cat, fisher cat, pekan, pequam, wejack, and woods-otter.
Fishers are members of the weasel family (Mustelidae), related to martens, minks and otters.
Where they live: The Fisher is now rare in Washington and limited mostly to dense, preferably mature, forest, although second growth with good cover may also be used.
In 2008, Fishers were released in into the Olympic National Park in Northwest Washington. (see Proposed Fisher Reintroduction) 
Click the range map to learn more about the historical distribution of Fishers in Washington. What they eat: Fishers are carnivorous (eat meat) -- they primarily eat mice, porcupines, squirrels, snowshoe hares, birds, and shrews. Like other carnivores, they also feed on fruits and berries, including beechnuts and apples. Behavior: Fishers are secretive and rarely observed in the wild. Young fishers are raised in dens found in rotting logs or tree cavities (hollow trees). Sometimes females will move their young - several times - if the litter is disturbed by potential predators. Male fishers do not help raise their young. Fishers communicate with each other by scent marking. They have good senses of hearing, smell, and sight. The fisher is the only predator to have a specialized killing technique for porcupines. They repeatedly bite and scratch at the porcupine's face to cause it to bleed to death. Because most of the porcupine is mostly covered in quills, the fisher flips the dead animal over, to eat its prey. Reproduction: Very little is known about the mating habitats of fishers. Female fishers first breed at one year of age. The breeding season for the fisher begins in late February and lasts until mid-April. The average number of young in a litter is 3, ranging from 1 to 6. Young fishers are born blind and almost completely naked. Their eyes open after about 53 days. They are protected and raised in a hollow tree by their mother. Lifespan/Longevity: Fishers can live up to ten years in the wild. Conservation Status: Fisher population numbers have dropped due to logging of their native habitat covering large tracks of coniferous forests. Because of its preference for old-growth forests, it is heavily affected by clear-cut logging. In the recent past, Fishers were trapped and killed for their pelts. Fishers are beneficial since they hunt porcupines, and help to control porcupine populations (porcupines damage timber crops by debarking and killing trees). There are ongoing efforts, by wildlife biologists, to reintroduce fishers to the Olympic National Park. Read The Seattle Times article Weasel-like fisher back in state after many decades.
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Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
What they look like:
Fishers are small dark brown mammals - about the size of a house cat. Fishers are similar to the much smaller weasels. They have a long body with short legs, rounded ears, and a bushy tail. Males are often larger than females.
Their thick coats range from medium to dark brown, with gold to silver markings on their head and
shoulders, and with black legs and tail. Fishers have five toes with retractable claws - like a cat - making them agile and excellent climbers.