Read the passage given in question 4(A) and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title. (5 marks)Madagascar is not famous only for its lemurs, though the animated films might give you that impression ! The island nation off the ea…

Q.4 (B) Read the passage given in question 4(A) and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title. (5 marks)

Madagascar is not famous only for its lemurs, though the animated films might give you that impression ! The island nation off the east coast of Africa is home to interesting endemic carnivores, too. One of them is the Fossa. Though it is the largest carnivore on the island, the fossa’s habits in the wild are little known since it is so elusive.

Madagascar’s top predator looks like a mix of a monkey, a cat and a weasel ! A rich golden brown colour with a whitish belly, a fossa has paws with claws like a cat, a 65-70-cm-long thin tail like a monkey and small rounded ears like a weasel ! Its tail measures about the same as its sinuous, low-slung body.

Earlier, scientists thought that it was a nocturnal hunter because it was so rarely spotted. However, recent studies have shown that fossas hunt and sleep at any time of the day. It is a superb ambush hunter and eats small and medium-sized prey such as fish, birds, mice and wild pigs, However, its main food is lemurs.

Fossas are equally at home on tall trees and on the ground. The long tail helps them to maintain their balance on narrow branches. Retractable claws and flexible ankle joints enable them to climb down tree trunks head first !

The den is made in an old termite mound, the hollow of a tree or a rock crevice. There are two to six pups to a litter and they are born toothless and with white fur. They are dependent on the mother till they are eight months old.