Animal identifier ยท Other mammals
Pekania pennanti
Northern and mountain forests. Reintroduced in parts of the Appalachians, the Northwest, and California. Five toes, but the smallest toe often misses, so the print can look four-toed.
What does a fisher look like?
Long dark body, short legs, bushy tail. Not a cat, despite the old name fisher-cat.
What do fisher tracks look like?
Paired prints in a loping pattern. Claws show, which splits it from a cat. Larger than a marten.
- Five toes, but the smallest toe often misses, so the print can look four-toed
- Track about 2 to 2.5 inches, with visible claws
- A typical mustelid lope: paired prints, 2-2
- Scat is dark, twisted, and often left on a log
- Dark brown animal, cat-sized, with a long body if seen
What does fisher poop look like?
Dark cords on logs and stumps, sometimes with bone and quill fragments. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine.
Where you find it
Northern and mountain forests. Reintroduced in parts of the Appalachians, the Northwest, and California. Typical places: woods. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
What to do next
- Watch from a distance
- Do not handle droppings
- If the animal is injured or inside a building, call a local wildlife officer
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- American marten identification
- North American river otter identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
Paired prints in a lope, about 2 inches, with claw marks. Five toes, though one often fails to print.
How to tell a fisher from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- American marten. A reduced fisher trail: same 2-2 lope, smaller prints, more time on logs and in dense conifer. House-cat sized, brown, with a pale bib.
- North American river otter. The slide is the field mark. Long brown body, thick tail that is broad at the base, small ears.
Fisher field marks
- Five toes, but the smallest toe often misses, so the print can look four-toed
- Track about 2 to 2.5 inches, with visible claws
- A typical mustelid lope: paired prints, 2-2
- Scat is dark, twisted, and often left on a log
Where the sign shows up
Northern and mountain forests. Reintroduced in parts of the Appalachians, the Northwest, and California. Typical places: woods. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
Paired prints in a loping pattern. Claws show, which splits it from a cat. Larger than a marten. Dark cords on logs and stumps, sometimes with bone and quill fragments.
Common questions
What do fisher tracks look like?
Paired prints in a lope, about 2 inches, with claw marks. Five toes, though one often fails to print.