Animal Fact Sheets back Fisher Martes pennanti Classification and Range Fishers belong to the family Mustelidae, which includes badgers, mink, martens, otters, skunks, weasels and wolverines. Fishers are classified under the subfamily Mustelinae, which has a total of 33 species in nine genera. There is only one species of fisher, which is also called the pekan. The fisher is found only in North America. The fisher prefers dense forest environments, with thick, high overhead canopies.
Fishers avoid open spaces with no overhead cover.
Although fishers spend most of their time on the ground, they are quite capable of climbing trees, with the ability of jumping from one tree to another. At times they may feed on fruits and nuts. Reproduction Fishers reach sexual maturity from 1-2 years of age. Both sexes are predominantly solitary except during the breeding season, which occurs in the beginning of March. Gestation lasts about 51 weeks.