Southern gorse cat

Southern gorse cat
	Southern gorse cat in the Wrocław Zoo
Systematics
Order :	Predators (Carnivora)
Subordination :	Feline (Feliformia)
Family :	Crawling cats (Viverridae)
Subfamily :	Genettinae
Genre :	Genet cats ( Genetta )
Type :	Southern gorse cat
Scientific name
	Genetta Felina
	( Thunberg , 1811)

The Southern common genet ( Genetta felina ), also Southern Kleinfleckgenette called, is a genet -Art that in Namibia and South Africa found.

Appearance

The southern Kleinfleck genet reaches a head body length of 47.5 to 56.5 cm (males) or 43 to 55 cm (females), has a length of 41 to 49.5 cm (males) or 41 to 47 cm (females) long tail and can weigh 1.5 to 2.4 kg (males) or 1.4 to 2 kg (females) and is therefore a medium-sized genet. The basic color of the fur is whitish-gray, the peritoneum is whitish, light yellow-gray or gray. A black band runs down the middle of the back and there are clearly pronounced stripes on the neck. The hair along the middle of the back can be straightened up like a comb. The face and muzzle are dark with large white spots around the eyes. The tail is curled and eight to ten light rings alternate with black rings. The tip of the tail is light. The trunk, as well as the front and rear legs are spotted. The front legs are darkly colored on their back and the hind paws are also dark. Females have two pairs of teats. The tooth formula is: ${\ displaystyle {\ frac {3.1.4.2} {3.1.4.2}}}$

Habitat and way of life

The southern Kleinfleck genet lives in forest savannahs, steppes, thickets, in the dry areas of Vleis and in the border areas of deserts. It is nocturnal and solitary and feeds on rodents, shrews , birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, arachnids and carrion, as well as berries, leaves and grasses. The prey animals include the African welted grass mice , lamellar tooth rats , the Cape short-tailed gerbil , the African harvest mouse , beetles and grasshoppers . Little is known about the reproduction of the species. Newborns weigh about 70 g. Pregnant females were observed in September and October.

Systematics

The southern Kleinfleck genet was first scientifically described in 1811 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg . For a long time it was considered a subspecies of the Kleinfleck gorse cat ( Genetta genetta ), but has been listed as an independent species for morphological reasons since 2005.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Andrew P. Jennings and Geraldine Veron: Family Viverridae (Civets, genets and oyans). in Don E. Wilson , Russell A. Mittermeier : Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 1 Carnivores. Lynx Editions, 2009, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1 , p. 217.
^ Gaubert, P., Taylor, PJ, & Veron, G. (2005). Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta ): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in Africa. In: Huber, BA, Sinclair, BJ, Lampe, K.-H. (eds.) African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology, Museum König, Bonn. Jumper. Pp. 371-383.

[HMW-1] Andrew P. Jennings and Geraldine Veron: Family Viverridae (Civets, genets and oyans). in Don E. Wilson , Russell A. Mittermeier : Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 1 Carnivores. Lynx Editions, 2009, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1 , p. 217.

[Gaubertetal-2] Gaubert, P., Taylor, PJ, & Veron, G. (2005). Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta ): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in Africa. In: Huber, BA, Sinclair, BJ, Lampe, K.-H. (eds.) African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology, Museum König, Bonn. Jumper. Pp. 371-383.