A relative of the mongoose, the Fossa is unique to the forests of Madagascar, an African island in the Indian Ocean. Until recently scientists thought the Fossa, with feline like features, was a primitive kind of cat. It is actually one of the largest members of the mongoose family. With a slender-bodied cat-like physique, it displays little resemblance to its mongoose cousins. It is the largest carnivore and top predator native to Madagascar. The Fossa is a vertebrate which means the it has a backbone, It can grow up to 1.8 meters long from the nose to tip of the tail and weighs up to 12kgs.