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African civet - CIVET TICTIS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Civet": "Civet" comes from the Arabic word "zabad."
Location: Africa south of the Sahara.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Savanna and forests that are not too humid.
Description: This is the largest of the civets and one of the largest members of the family Viverridae. The coat is a contrasting mixture of black stripes and markings on a pale background. The snout is white and separated from the gray forehead by a broad black band which extends across the eyes. Along the back a strip of long, black, erectile hairs forms a crest. The tail is broad at the base and tapers towards the tip. The claws are partly retractile. The length of the head and body is about 30 inches, with the tail adding about 20 inches. They weigh about 40 pounds.
Behavior: This civet is solitary and completely nocturnal. It is retiring and difficult to observe. It feeds on anything edible, including insects, plants, and carrion. It uses the burrows of aardvarks, caves, or tree hollows, to hide in during the day. It is territorial and has a habit of depositing its droppings in the same spot as a marking signal. The anal glands emit a substance with a very penetrating smell. This musk is used in the manufacture of perfumes.
Reproduction: Two to four young are born, and there are normally two litters per year.
Go to the Carnivore Page to learn more about all the meat-eating animals.
Or go to the Civet Index to study other
civets.
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