African civet cat

African civet cat

The animals can also be patted individually.

The African civet cat(Civettictis civetta) is a small predatory mammal from the Viverridae family with a body weight of approx. 15 kg and a body length of up to 85 cm.

The African civet cat has a long body and relatively short legs, with the hind legs being significantly stronger than the front legs. The coat is silver-grey in colour and is marked with numerous black stripes and spots. These give the civet cat a certain resemblance to the invasive raccoon in Germany. The long, erectable mane on the back is characteristic of this species of civet cat.

Nutrition

Like all civets, this species is crepuscular to nocturnal. During this time, the African civet cat forages for its food, which consists of similar proportions of animals and plants. It is therefore a typical omnivore. Its carnivorous diet includes a variety of small animals such as insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and small rodents. It is even able to kill poisonous animals such as snakes and millipedes and eat them safely. In addition, the African civet cat often snatches eggs from ground-nesting birds and does not disdain decaying carrion. Their plant-based diet consists mainly of fruits, roots and grass.

Distribution

It is found throughout Africa, south of the Sahara. The habitat of the African civet cat is savannahs and forests with access to fresh water. It is particularly important that the habitat has a thicket of herbs and bushes where it can hide during the day.

In the past, secretion from the perianal glands of the civet cat, also known as "civet", was used by the perfume industry. Hundreds of civets were and still are kept in cages to be milked for this purpose. Fortunately, civet is increasingly being replaced by synthetic ingredients. Despite these centuries-long practices, the population of the African civet cat is not classified as endangered by the World Conservation Organisation (IUCN). It is still relatively common in Africa and has a large distribution area.

Our two African civets are two male specimens that were collected by Count Hayn in Abyssinia in 1931.