African Civet

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African Civet
Conservation status
Least concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Viverridae Subfamily: Viverrinae Genus: Civetticus Species: C. civetta
Binomial name
Civetticus civetta (Schreber, 1776)

The African Civet is a common viverrid that ranges across tropical Africa. Unlike many other members of the family, which resemble cats, the African Civet resembles a short dog-like animal. Its coarse coat varies but is usually an ornate pattern of black and white contrasting bands and blotches, with a white face mask and black eye patches (like that of a raccoon) and a pale muzzle. Like all civets it has perianal glands that produces a fluid known as civetone (used in the perfume industry), which it spreads on markers in its territory to claim its range.

The African Civet ranges across Sub-Saharan Africa (except from Somalia and most of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. It lives it forests, both dense rainforest, or in partly forested mosaics, as well as in drier country were cover exists (along watercourses or rock outcroppings). Although they are frequently taken by snares left out for jackals and are victims of roadkill, they are not considered threatened.

The African Civet is an omnivorous generalist, taking both small vertebrates, invertebrates, eggs, carrion, and vegetable matter. It is capable of taking on poisonous invertebrates (such as the millipedes most other species avoid) and snakes, and tackling large prey items like mongooses and hares. It forages by itself, and is a solitary animal that does not tolerate the presence of others of its species.

[edit] References

• The Kingdom Field Guide to African Mammals by Jonathan Kingdom, 1997; ISBN 0-7136-6513-0