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Large Indian civet - VIVERRA ZIBETHA
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Civet": "Civet" comes from the Arabic word "zabad."
Location: Southeast Asia.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Tropical and subtropical forests.
Description: The large Indian civet is yellow-gray with dark brown to black markings arranged in incomplete stripes. The facial mask, throat, legs, and end of tail are also dark. The perianal glands produce the substance called civet, which has a strong odor. The claws are semiretractile. The length of the head and body is about 30 inches, with a tall of about 18 inches. They weigh about 50 pounds.
Behavior: Nocturnal and solitary by nature, this is one of the most fearsome of small predators, as it can easily kill prey larger than itself. The hunting technique consists of repeatedly biting the prey in the hindquarters while it is running, then shaking it until dead. This species is easy to domesticate and is sometimes penned so the civet substance can be gathered more conveniently.
Reproduction: Young are usually born in May or June, and each litter has three or four young.
Note: In the islands of southeast Asia this civet is replaced by a similar species known as the Malay civet.
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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