African civet
| African civet | ||||||||||||
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African civet cat ( Civettictis civetta ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Civettictis | ||||||||||||
| Pocock , 1915 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Civettictis civetta | ||||||||||||
| ( Schreber , 1776) |
The African civet ( Civettictis civetta ) is a predatory species from the family of civets (Viverridae). It is one of the most common mammals in Africa .
description
The fur of the African civet is silver-gray and marked with black spots or bands arranged in stripes. There is a great variety of patterns within the species, and melanistic animals are also known. The legs and the rear half of the tail are colored black, they can also have black markings on the face, reminiscent of raccoons. Characteristic for the species is a long back mane that can be erected.
The head body length of these animals is 67 to 89 centimeters, plus 35 to 47 centimeters of tail. Their weight varies from 7 to 15, rarely up to 20 kilograms. The shoulder height is between 35 and 43 cm.
distribution and habitat
African civets are native to large parts of Africa, their range extends from Senegal and Somalia to Namibia and north-eastern South Africa . They can be found in a variety of biomes , in the savannah as well as in forests, but they rely on tall grass or thickets where they can hide during the day. Here they can reach a high density. They are not found in areas that are too arid ; they usually live near water.
Way of life
These animals are ground dwellers, they hardly climb trees, but can swim very well. They are mostly nocturnal, but can also be active in the early morning or during the day in cloudy weather. They usually sleep hidden in thick vegetation. They live solitary and are territorial animals that mark their territory with the strongly smelling secretion of their perianal glands . This secretion plays an important role in the perfume industry as civet . Not only the civet, but also their fur and meat are used.
food
African civets are omnivores. They feed mainly as carnivores on rodents, birds and insects. They do not spurn even food that is inedible to almost all other mammals, for example certain species of millipedes and carrion in an advanced stage of decomposition. In addition, they occasionally eat fruits and roots.
Reproduction
The female can have two or three litters a year, the gestation period is 60 to 72 days and the litter size one to four (usually two or three). Young animals are born hairy and are relatively well developed compared to other feline species. They are weaned at 14 to 20 weeks and sexually mature at around a year old. Life expectancy is estimated at 15 to 20 years.
African civets and people
The secretion of the perianal glands, the civet , is used as an ingredient in perfumes . While many civet cats were kept in cages in the past centuries to take the civet from them, these materials are mostly manufactured artificially today. But there are said to be even larger farms of civet cats in Ethiopia , for example .
African civets are widespread and are not an endangered species.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 (English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ African civet cat (Civettictis civetta) in the Encyclopedia of Life . Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ↑ Civettictis civetta in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2012. Posted by: Ray, J., Gaubert, P. & Hoffmann, M., 2008. Accessed October 29, 2012th
