Large Spotted Genet
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Gorse cat ( Genetta maculata ) |
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| Genetta maculata | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1830) |
The bulk genet or Großfleckgenette ( genetta maculata ) is a predatory species from the family of Viverrids (genus genet ). It occurs in a large area in sub- Saharan Africa . The animals are usually solitary and feed mainly predatory.
features
The gorse cat reaches a head-trunk length of 44.3 to 52.1 centimeters for the males and 41.1 to 49.9 centimeters for the females. The tail length is about the same in both sexes and ranges from 39.5 to 54 centimeters. The species is slender and has a very short coat, which can vary greatly in its color. The basic color ranges from pale yellow and sandy brown to red-brown to gray-yellow, the belly is white-gray to pale yellow. The body has a pattern of dark stripes and spots typical of gorse cats. The spots are black to dark red-brown and vary in size and shape, they usually do not merge into one another. The neck stripes are well developed and the color of the central line along the spine, which runs from the shoulder to the base of the tail, corresponds to the color of the spots. The hair on the line is short and does not form a dorsal ridge along the spine. The tail has a ringed pattern with seven to nine light and dark rings, with the proportion of light rings making up about 50 to 75% of the width of the dark rings. The tip of the tail is dark. The hind and front legs are clearly spotted, the rear area of the hind paws is covered with thick dark hair.
The face is also clearly drawn. It has a well-developed, dark mask and a dark line in the area of the snout and white spots below and above the eyes.
distribution and habitat
The gorse cat is distributed over a large area in sub- Saharan Africa. The distribution area extends from the Volta in West Africa to Eritrea and Somalia as well as south to central Namibia and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa .
The species' habitats are diverse and include rainforest areas , wetlands, open and closed forest areas, and grassy savannas . The animals can also be found in agricultural areas and in the vicinity of human settlements. On the other hand, they avoid dry regions such as dry savannah and desert areas.
Way of life
The gorse cat is largely nocturnal, but seldom also during the day. The resting places are in trees, hollows and caves, under roots and in other hiding places. Abandoned aardvarks or rabbits and man-made shelters are also used. Normally, the animals are loners who only come together to form pairs during mating and rearing time. The areas are marked with urine and faeces, scratches on trees also fulfill this role.
nutrition
The gorse cat has a predatory diet, but also eats vegetarian food such as fruits and seeds, which varies from region to region. Small mammals, birds and their eggs, reptiles and amphibians, fish, snails and mussels, centipedes, spiders, scorpions and insects are caught and consumed as prey. The specific composition can vary greatly from region to region.
The animals carefully approach their prey and then catch it with a jump. They are killed by several bites in quick succession immediately after the prey has been caught.
Reproduction
Before mating, the males look for females and sniff them around the vulva , flehing . The male then pursues the female, making growling and panting calls for advertising. At the beginning of the partnership, the female turns away and lowers her hind legs and tail before fleeing. Occasionally, it will answer the male's calls and allow him closer physical contact. When it is ready to mate, both partners smell each other's face and genitals and rub their cheeks together. The female lifts her tail and crouches with legs apart with her abdomen raised. The male mounts the female from behind and grabs her breast. The copulation takes five minutes or so, then the male rises from the female, which then sometimes rolled onto his back.
The gestation period lasts 70 to 77 days before the female gives birth to a litter of two to five young in a hollow tree, leaf nest or hut. The young are born regionally at different times. In Kenya, two main throwing times were found in October to December and March to May, in other areas these are sometimes earlier or later. The young animals are blind at birth and have a short coat, after about 10 days they open their eyes. The first canines erupt after about four weeks. At around six weeks the young take in solid food and after around 28 weeks they are able to catch and kill small prey.
Systematics
The gorse cat is assigned as an independent species to the genus cats (genus Genetta ), which currently consists of 14 species. In addition to the current scientific name Genetta maculata , the name Genetta rubiginosa , which is considered a synonym , is also in use. The species has also been synonymous several times in the past with other species such as the southern gorse ( Genetta tigrina ) and the leopard genette ( Genetta pardina ).
Wilson & Reeder 2005 does not differentiate between subspecies, Jennings & Veron 2009 describes four subspecies:
- Genetta maculata maculata in Ethiopia and Eritrea
- Genetta maculata letabae in West, Central and East Africa as well as in Angola , northeast Namibia , Botswana and southwest Zambia
- Genetta maculata mossambica in Mozambique and South Africa
- Genetta maculata zambesiana in Malawi and Zimbabwe
According to recent work, it is possible that Genetta maculata letabae will be regarded as a separate species in the future.
Threat and protection
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the species as not endangered due to its large distribution area, its occurrence in different habitats and the current lack of serious threats .
Regionally, the animals are hunted and traded as "bushmeat". In addition, they are sometimes denounced as chicken thieves and are therefore killed by farmers with poison or traps.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n P. Jennings, G. Veron: Family Viverridae (Civets, Genet and Oyans). In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, 2009, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1 , (p. 221).
- ^ A b Philippe Gaubert, Peter J. Taylor, Geraldine Veron: Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in africa. (PDF; 144 kB) In: BA Huber, BJ Sinclair, K.-H. Lamp African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology, Museum Koenig , Bonn 2005.
- ↑ a b c d Genetta maculata in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011.2. Posted by: P. Gaubert, A. Dunham, M. Hoffmann, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
- ↑ a b Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Genetta maculata ( Memento of the original of February 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- P. Jennings, G. Veron: Family Viverridae (Civets, Genet and Oyans). In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, 2009, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1 , (p. 221).
Web links
- Genetta maculata inthe IUCN 2011 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: P. Gaubert, A. Dunham, M. Hoffmann, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2012.