Civet

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(Redirected from Viverridae)

{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Civets | image = IMAGE13.jpg | image_width = 200px | image_caption = Binturong | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Mammalia | ordo = Carnivora | familia = Viverridae | familia_authority = Gray, 1821 | subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies | subdivision = Cryptoproctinae
Euplerinae
Hemigalinae
Paradoxurinae
Viverrinae }}

The 35 species of civet, (pronounced /ˈsɪvɪt/), genet, and linsang make up the family Viverridae. They are small, lithe-bodied, mostly arboreal members of the order Carnivora. General appearance is broadly cat-like, but the muzzle is extended and often pointed, rather like an otter or a mongoose. The Civet's length, excluding its long tail, is about 17 to 28 in (400 to 700 mm) and its weight is about 3 to 10 lb (1 to 5 kg).

Civet cat is an imprecise term that is used for a variety of cat-like creatures such as the Ringtail or North American Civet Cat (Bassariscus astutus), related to the racoon; the musk-producing African Civet Cat (Civettictis civetta); Asian Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis - a true cat) and African Wildcat (Felis libyca - a true cat). The term is best avoided to prevent confusion between viverrids, racoons and cats.

Viverrids are native to most of the Old World tropics, nearly all of Africa bar the area immediately south of the Mediterranean, Madagascar, and the Iberian Peninsula. Favoured habitats include woodland, savanna, mountains and, above all, tropical rainforest. In consequence, many are faced with severe loss of habitat: several species are classed as vulnerable and both the Otter Civet and the Falanouc are classified as endangered.

Although it resembles the other civets, the African Palm Civet (Nandinia binotata) is genetically distinct, and belongs to its own monotypic family, the Nandiniidae.

Breeding occurs year round; gestation is 60-81 days. Some species may have 2 litters per year. Each litter may contain 1-6 babies who are fully furred at birth. Very little is known about their mating habits.

Civets are omnivorous, supplementing a meat diet (both hunted and scavenged) with fruit, eggs, fish, insects, and possibly roots. One of the Civet's favorite fruits is the coffee "berry" which it seeks out and eats. The bean often survives, and it is sometimes gathered and sold as caphe cut chon (fox-dung coffee) in Vietnam or Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) in Indonesia.

Civets are prized for their musk and their fur. Civet is used to refer to the musk they produce, as well as the animals themselves: it is used in small quantities in some perfumes. This musk is gathered by scraping it out of the Civet's anal sacs, a very painful process.

Despite their endangered species status, civets are also prized for their meat.

It has been suggested that the practice of eating palm civets may have resulted in the SARS virus outbreak of 2003. In January 2004, Guangdong province in China banned sales of civet cats (they are not cats) and ordered the slaughter of all captive civets. In January 2004 the United States announced an embargo on the importation of civets.

In 2005, the WWF released photos taken by a night time camera trap of an unknown carnivore (nicknamed the cat-fox) on Borneo, an island of Indonesia. Some scientists think it is either a new species of civet, or that it is one of the more rare species finally being spotted in modern times, such as Hose's Palm Civet.

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Species

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Civet/Genet Hybrids

In "The Variation Of Animals And Plants Under Domestication" Charles Darwin noted: The Genetta has bred both here and in the Jardin des Plantes, and produced hybrids. Others have also reported civet/genet hybrids.


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External links

zh-min-nan:Káu-chat-niau da:Desmerdyr de:Schleichkatzen fr:Viverridae he:גחניים io:Civeto lt:Viveriniai nl:Civetkatachtigen ja:ジャコウネコ pt:Civeta zh:果子狸

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