wild thing
What ’ s in a Name ?
BY ELLEN GORDON
How many readers would immediately picture the animal in this photo if they heard the term “ fisher ?” Early European colonists kicked off the confusion ; when they initially spotted these critters , they thought they resembled English polecats , or fitch ferrets , which are smaller but with a similar build . Or , since the original trappers who desired the pelts of the fishers were French , and called the pelts of French polecats “ ficheaux ,” that could be where the fisher ’ s name originated .
To add to the muddle , fishers do not prey on fish . Although they are in the same family as otters , they don ’ t spend their time in or near bodies of water . And as if that ’ s not enough misperception , fishers are commonly called “ fisher
cats ” in parts of the US , but they ’ re they are not in any way related to the feline family ! Native Americans had different names for them as well ; in Chippewa they are tha cho , and in Cree , they are otchoek . This North American member of the weasel family has even had its name changed in the scientific nomenclature ! Originally called Martes pennanti , in 2015 scientists decided they ’ re distinct enough from other members of that genus that they deserve their own : Pekania pennanti .
Fishers are medium sized carnivorous mammals , with a long but stocky body , a broad head , pointy snout and small , rounded ears . Heavily furred , they are usually a rich , glossy dark brown . Fisher eyes have a horizontal oval pupil that reflects a bright green eye shine at night . They have five toes
A curious young fisher ventures forth from its den .
on each rather flat paw and sharp , curved , semi-retractable claws . Males are larger than females , usually eight to twelve pounds , whereas females never weigh more than six pounds . From nose to tail they can be three feet in length .
Before the arrival of Europeans , historic records suggest fishers ranged across most of Canada , the northern and western United States , as far south as Virginia and down the spine of the Appalachians into North Carolina and Tennessee . In Maryland , they could be found from the westernmost border through the Piedmont , but probably not on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay .
As creatures of the forests , they need a lot of canopy to thrive ,
plenty I summer growing 2023 15