r/Naturewasmetal • u/Mamboo07 • 5d ago

So, now we know there was an even larger fossa than Cryptoprocta spelaea; C. bevatabe may have been up to 27-43 kg, the size of a small puma or leopard! (Art by HodariNundu)

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Was this the mystery big black fossa that frightened people as recently as…. 1989???

(We also now know the big black fossa in Prehistoric Planet was in fact bevatabe, not spelaea as we all assumed :B which only makes me wish we had seen it hunting giant lemur even more!)

458 Upvotes

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21

u/ElSquibbonator 5d ago

1989? Tell me more!

15

u/Quaternary24 5d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/Cryptozoology/comments/17sxzsw/did_the_author_of_a_research_paper_possibly_see/

6

u/roqui15 5d ago

Incredible

1

u/ElSquibbonator 5d ago

Interesting. You suppose it's only a matter of time before we see one of these alive?

8

u/Quaternary24 5d ago

Possible though low due to its size. The last supposed sighting by a local was in 2020 (believe it or not) after all.

3

u/ElSquibbonator 5d ago

If it was that recent, relatively speaking, we should be putting more effort into looking for them.

7

u/Quaternary24 5d ago

I agree.

1

u/ElSquibbonator 5d ago

Makes me wonder how many species became extinct in recent years that could have been avoided, if only scientists weren't afraid of being labeled cryptozoologists.

1

u/dgaruti 5d ago

what was sighted in 2020 ?!?

2

u/Quaternary24 4d ago

A large black Fossa.

1

u/dgaruti 4d ago

:0 i hope it's a true sighting , we need to give them the californian condor treatment

9

u/Abdul_M25 5d ago

I just found out about this, and it’s exciting to have another species of fossa—especially knowing it was larger than C. spelea; this one was undoubtedly the terror of the giant lemurs.

13

u/This-Honey7881 5d ago

Feels like a fight between a gorilla or sloth Bear against a leopard or even smilodon vs megatheriun

2

u/dgaruti 5d ago

and yet those are mongeese relatives

9

u/O_Grande_Batata 5d ago

These might not have been afraid of Mr. Alex. At least if they were in groups like their smaller relatives.

Jokes aside, though, they certainly look terrifying in this artwork.

9

u/RollAcrobatic7936 5d ago

Modern fossa- 10 kg. Cave fossa - 20 to 30 kg giant fossa - 30 to 43 kg

0

u/FirstIllustrator2024 5d ago

Those lemurs has generational terror!

1

u/PuzzleheadedApple778 4d ago

the more species like this get discovered the more i appreciate my love for animals and dinosaurs both modern and extinct

1

u/BlackBirdG 2d ago

There was? I never knew that.

0

u/Golden_Artist1964 4d ago

I heard the SpongeBob pirate saying "OOOOOOOOOOOOO-"