Hi everyone - and welcome to the last Fur & Feather Fridays! Today were looking at that the slinky Civets. Civets can be found across tropical Africa and Asia - however there are literally dozens of different species, each with their own unique differences and colourations. Some common characteristics found throughout all civets are their long, lithe bodies, a long muzzle and the ability to produce a strong smelling musk from glands located near their genitals The Common Palm Civet (below) can be found across southern Asia, from India and Nepal across the the Philippines and all the way down to southern Indonesia. They mostly inhabit old, primary forests but can be found in smaller numbers in secondary forests - they have also been sighted foraging in urban and suburban areas, where they are considered a pest. They are believed to be a solitary mammal, only meeting others when it is time to mate. They are also territorial, using their glands to scent mark their turf. Civets are mainly nocturnal and generally sleep through the day. Civets are both ground-dwelling and tree-dwelling species and are expert climbers. Civets are omnivorous; feeding on a diet of small mammals and invertebrates as well as pulpy fruits and palm flower sap. Civets are important for the distribution and fertilisation of fruiting trees, which use the dung of the civet to germinate. Because of their solitary lifestyle it is unknown how many young Asian Palm Civets produce and how they raise their young. Due to its ability to survive in a range of habitats, IUCN has listed it as a species of Least Concern. However, civets around the world have been exploited in the past with their scent glands being scraped to use as perfume. Civet farms also exist where the animals’ faeces is used as the main ingredient in a brand of expensive coffee, known as Kopi Luwak. More and more images have been circulating of civets locked in cages and force fed coffee to mass-produce this product. Globally, civets are also hunted for their meat and can be found being sold on through the illegal pet trade. CITES have put hunting quotas in place to control these figures but these are ignored and not enforced on a local level. It is yet unclear as to the ecological impact these industries are having on the species. I wish I could make collages for the remaining animals; the deer, the pythons, the Pied Hornbills, the other species of civets and reptiles etc but I simply dont have the images. I also want to congratulate Karmele Llano Sanchez, Argitoe and Lisa Burtenshaw and all the rest of the IAR Ketapang staff and volunteers for an amazing documentary with National Geographic - it was incredible to see how much work has been done in less than a year - well done everyone! See you next week for a Monkey and Ape Monday special finale - gibbons and macaques! :D
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 00:52:26 +0000
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