Civettictis civetta civetta

(Schreber, 1776)

Vernacular names
English : African civet
French : Civette africaine

Classification
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Viverridae
Notes : 5 other subspecies known.

Identification
Body length of 84 cm, tail length of 46 cm, weight of 20 kg. Small rounded ears, strong legs and broad snout. Brown-grey with black spots arranged in rows on flanks. Black markings on face. Black bands on neck, black legs.

Range and habitat
This subspecies occurs from Senegal to Ethiopia, south to Gabon. Species also found from Angola to Namibia and from Sudan to Botswana. Also on Djibouti. Lives in forests and open habitats with dense vegetation, up to 1700 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not listed
Status : This species has a very large range and seems to remain at least locally common. Threatened by hunting and capture for civet farming.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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