A civet ( /ˈsɪvɨt/) is a small, lithe-bodied, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. The term civet applies to over a dozen different mammal species. Most of the species diversity is found in southeast Asia. The most well-known civet species is the African Civet, Civettictis civetta, which historically has been the main species from which was obtained a musky scent used in perfumery. The word civet may also refer to the distinctive musky scent produced by the animals.

Civets are also called "toddycats" in English and "musang" in Malay. The latter may lead to some confusion as "musang" also refers to foxes, but civets are more commonly encountered by humans.

Taxonomy

The common name is used for a variety of carnivorous mammalian species, mostly of the family Viverridae. (The African Palm Civet (Nandinia binotata) is genetically distinct and belongs in its own monotypic family, Nandiniidae).

Physical characteristics

Illustration of an African Civet

Civets have a broadly cat-like general appearance, though the muzzle is extended and often pointed, rather like an otter or a mongoose. They range in length from about 17 to 28 in (43 to 71 cm) (excluding their long tails) and in weight from about 3 to 10 lb (1.4 to 4.5 kg).

The civet produces a musk (also called civet) highly valued as a fragrance and stabilizing agent for perfume. Both male and female civets produce the strong-smelling secretion, which is produced by the civet's perineal glands. It is harvested by either killing the animal and removing the glands, or by scraping the secretions from the glands of a live animal. The latter is the preferred method today.

Animal rights groups, such as the World Society for the Protection of Animals, express concern that harvesting musk is cruel to animals. Between these ethical concerns and the availability of synthetic substitutes, the practice of raising civets for musk is dying out. Chanel, maker of the popular perfume Chanel No. 5, claims that natural civet has been replaced with a synthetic substitute since 1998.^[1]

Habitat

Viverrids are native to Africa (except the area immediately south of the Mediterranean), Madagascar, the Iberian Peninsula, southern China, South and Southeast Asia. Favoured habitats include woodland, savanna, and mountain biomes and, above all, tropical rainforest. In consequence, many are faced with severe loss of habitat; several species are considered vulnerable and the Otter Civet is classified as endangered. Some species of civet are very rare and elusive and hardly anything is known about them, e.g., the Hose's Civet, endemic to the montane forests of northern Borneo, is one of the world's least known carnivores.^[2]

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

In Sri Lanka, the Asian palm civet species is known as "Uguduwa" by the Sinhala speaking community. The terms Uguduwa and Kalawedda are used interchangeably by the Sri Lankan community to refer to the same animal. However, the term Kalawedda is mostly used to refer to another species in the civet family, the Small Indian Civet. Sri Lanka also has an endemic civet species called Golden Palm Civet. In Bangladesh and in Bangla speaking areas of India this animal is known as "Khatash" and is now extremely rare in all parts of Bangladesh.

Relationship with humans

Coffee

Kopi Luwak, also known as caphe cut chon (fox-dung coffee) in Vietnam and kape alamid in the Philippines, is coffee that is prepared using coffee cherries that have been eaten and partially digested by the Asian Palm Civet, then harvested from its fecal matter.^[3][4] The civets digest the flesh of the coffee cherries but pass the beans inside, leaving their stomach enzymes to go to work on the beans, which adds to the coffee's prized aroma and flavor.^[3] Only around 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of civet coffee make it to the market each year, and 1 pound (0.45 kg) can cost up to $600 in some parts of the world and about $100 a cup in others.^[5]

Pets

Some of the indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia, the Orang Asli, may occasionally keep pet civets.

Urban environments

Palm civets often venture into urban and suburban environments, with people often complaining about civet feces or noise from the animals climbing on roofs ^[6]. Some studies have undertaken to examine and mitigate human-animal conflict in these cases. The Raffles Museum of Biodiversity at the National University of Singapore has adopted the palm civet as its mascot and volunteers call themselves "Toddycats"

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

There has been some speculation that the source of SARS-CoV, which had a significant outbreak in Asia in 2003, can be traced back to a particular species of civet, the Masked Palm Civet.^[7]

References

Look up civet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Although it resembles the civets of the family Viverridae, the African Palm Civet (Nandinia binotata) is genetically distinct and belongs in its own monotypic family, Nandiniidae.^[1] The Madagascan Cryptoprocta ferox was similarly long thought to be a member of Viverridae, but genetic evidence indicates that this animal is a member of the family Eupleridae, an endemic Madagascan carnivore radiation related to the family Herpestidae.^[1] Furthermore, the Asiatic linsangs of the genus Prionodon are more closely related to the cats, the family Felidae; they were therefore removed from Viverridae and placed in their own family, Prionodontidae.^[1] There is little dispute, however, that the African linsangs of genus Poiana are viverrids.^[1]

Species

Asian Palm Civet

The Spotted Genet

African Civet

• Family Viverridae^[1]
  • Subfamily Paradoxurinae
    • Genus Arctictis
      • Binturong (Arctictis binturong)
    • Genus Arctogalidia
      • Small-toothed Palm Civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata)
    • Genus Macrogalidia
      • Sulawesi Palm Civet (Macrogalidia musschenbroekii)
    • Genus Paguma
      • Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata)
    • Genus Paradoxurus
      • Golden Wet-zone Palm Civet (Paradoxurus aureus) (F. Cuvier, 1822)^[3]
      • Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)
      • Jerdon's Palm Civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni)
      • Sri Lankan Brown Palm Civet (Paradoxurus montanus) (Kelaart, 1852)^[3]
      • Golden Dry-zone Palm Civet (Paradoxurus stenocephalus) (Groves, 2009)^[3]
      • Golden Palm Civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis)
  • Subfamily Hemigalinae
    • Genus Chrotogale
      • Owston's Palm Civet (Chrotogale owstoni)
    • Genus Cynogale
      • Otter Civet (Cynogale bennettii)
    • Genus Diplogale
      • Hose's Palm Civet (Diplogale hosei)
    • Genus Hemigalus
      • Banded Palm Civet (Hemigalus derbyanus)
  • Subfamily Viverrinae
    • Genus Civettictis
      • African Civet (Civettictis civetta)
    • Genus Genetta
      • Abyssinian Genet (Genetta abyssinica)
      • Angolan Genet (Genetta angolensis)
      • Bourlon's Genet (Genetta bourloni)
      • Crested Servaline Genet (Genetta cristata)
      • Common Genet (Genetta genetta)
      • Johnston's Genet (Genetta johnstoni)
      • Rusty-spotted Genet (Genetta maculata)
      • Pardine Genet (Genetta pardina)
      • Aquatic Genet (Genetta piscivora)
      • King Genet (Genetta poensis)
      • Servaline Genet (Genetta servalina)
      • Haussa Genet (Genetta thierryi)
      • Cape Genet (Genetta tigrina)
      • Giant Forest Genet (Genetta victoriae)
    • Genus Poiana
      • Leighton's Linsang (Poiana leightoni)
      • African Linsang (Poiana richardsonii)
    • Genus Viverra
      • Malabar Large-spotted Civet (Viverra civettina)
      • Large-spotted Civet (Viverra megaspila)
      • Malayan Civet (Viverra tangalunga)
      • Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha)
    • Genus Viverricula
      • Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica)

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."^[4] Others have also reported civet × genet hybrids.

References