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General Information
There are 15-20 species of civets in the Viverridae family. Mongooses, genets and meerkats also belong to this family of carnivores. The civet is related to the cat family (Felidea).Generally solitary they are also
largely nocturnal animals and, with the exception of the arboreal palm civet,
tend to be terrestrial, although they can all climb well when they choose
to. There are also three civet species that are semi-aquatic.
Physical Appearance
In appearance they have cat like bodies, long tails and pointed faces. They
have a fur coat that is usually gray to brown in colour.
It may have a variety of markings that vary from species to species, although the most common markings consist of dark spots on the body and ringed tails.
Civets are small animals. Their body length ranges from 40cm to 85 cm with the tail being another 13cm to 66cm. Their weight ranges from 1kg to 11kg.
They have five sharp arched semi-retractable claws on both fingers and toes. They have a highly developed sense of sight, which is well adapted to their nocturnal existence.
Behaviour
Although the civet is usually a solitary animal it has developed a communication
system that involves sight, sound and scent. An anal scent glad is located
just under the civet's tail. This is used to mark territory, indicate when
a female is ready to mate, and can also be used aggressively as a defence
mechanism. They also communicate through sound. It has been observed that
they have three distinct sounds of aggression and a greeting sound.
Habitat
It is thought the Viverrid family
has been in existence in the Old World for 40-50 million years.
They were once found through out tropical Africa, India and Asia. However,
lately due to habitat destruction their ranges are being greatly reduced.
They can be found in forest areas and in savannas, anywhere where there is
cover for them to use during the day.
Feeding and Breeding
Civets are omnivorous and thus enjoy a varied diet. They eat small mammals, birds, small reptiles, frogs, insects, carrion, eggs and vegetable matter. Palm civets feed mainly on vegetable matter.Civets can reproduce through out
the year and may produce several litters a year. The gestation period is usually
60-72 days. The most common litter size is 1-4.
Babies are born fully furred and will open their eyes in a few days. They
will suckle for up to 20 weeks. During this breeding period is the only time
the civet will use a set nest or burrow. After one year they reach sexual
maturity and may begin breeding.
They are very difficult to breed in captivity. In captivity they have lived
up to 28 years, although they have a far shorter life span in the wild.
Conservation
10 of the civets are listed as endangered or at least vulnerable, 7 are listedas CITES division 1.
Interesting Facts
The term civet was originally derived from an Arabic word and actually refers to the scent obtained from the anal gland.This scent was widely used in perfume making through out the world. It is obtained by extracting a waxy substance from the anal gland. It can then be used for its strong musky odor or to help "set" other more delicate scents.
This process is often slow and painful. The animals are held in a small wooden cage and held in place as their gland is squeezed to extract the scent.
The animals used are from the wild and either captured and held for this purpose or captured and released as required.
Until recently all of the worlds major perfume houses, including Channel, Lancome, Cartier and Gurerlain were using natural civet.
However recently, due largely to public pressure, these companies are adopting the use of a synthetic alternative.
Insight
Malay Civet (Viverra tangalunga)The exhibit at the Night Safari accommodates a pair Malay civets, one male and one female. Naturally solitary, they do not come within 1 and a half metres of each other. The female is the dominant member and she usually rests in the front area of the exhibit while the male is always in the shadows. She shows aggression whenever the male civet trespasses into her territory. She was found to have given birth to 2 babies on the 18th May. Last June she also delivered triplets but sadly only two survived.
The Malay civet or Tangalung is the most common and best-known of all the
civet species. In the wild, it comes scavenging around longhouses and forest
camps or hunts rats in plantations at night, and the prominent black and white
markings on its throat show up well in torch light. The rest of its body is
covered with black spots, merging into a black stripe along its back which
extends right to the tip of the tail. In the forest, it spends much of its
time on the forest floor feeding on insects and other invertebrates as well
as small vertebrates.
Civet Island
Completed in early 2000, the tiny island is home to numerous small toothed
palm civets, Comorants and water-fowl. These civets were once inhabitants
along the Leopard Trail until they were relocated onto this island. In the
first few weeks of the move, the civets were adamant not to stay on the island.
For several mornings after the relocation, the Rangers would find them along
the Leopard Trail near their old habitat!
Bibliography
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