Civettictis civetta (Schreber, 1776, 1776)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Viverridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 174-232 : 177-178

2.

African Civet

Civettictis civetta

French: Civette d'Afrique / German: Afrikanische Zibetkatze / Spanish: Civeta africana

Taxonomy. Viverra civetta Schreber, 1776 ,

Guinea.

Six subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

C. c. civetta Schreber, 1776 — S Mauritania and Senegal E to Ethiopia and Somalia, and S to Gabon.

C. c. australis Lundholm, 1955 — Zambia and E Botswana to Malawi and Mozambique, and S to South Africa and Swaziland.

C. c. congica Cabrera, 1929 — S Sudan, DR Congo and Rwanda, S to Angola and N Zambia.

C. c. pauli Kock, Kunzel & Rayaleh, 2000 — Djibouti.

C. c. schwarz Cabrera, 1929 — S Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania (including Zanzibar I).

C. c. volkmanni: Lundholm, 1955 — NE Namibia and N Botswana.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 67-84 cm, tail 34-46. 9 cm, hindfoot 12:3-13. 9 cm, ear 5.4-5. 8 cm; weight 7-20 kg. In South Africa, females are larger and heavier than males, but there is a large overlap. A large terrestrial civet, with large hindquarters and an erectile dorsal crest. The pelage is coarse, with long thick guard hairs. The coat color varies from white to yellow to reddish-buff. The body spots are brown to black and are arranged in irregular lines along the body. Melanistic individuals have been reported from some areas, including up to one third of the population in the Congo Basin. The head is broad, with a pointed muzzle and small rounded ears. There is a black band across the face and white patches between the eyes and ears and on the sides of the muzzle. The forehead is whitish or grayish; the ears are white at the front and black at the back, with a white tip. The neck has conspicuous large black and white bands. The hairs along the dorsal crest increase in length from the forehead and reach their maximum on the posterior back, where the maximum length reaches 10-12 cm. The tail is dark on the dorsal surface and marked with five diffuse white rings; the tip is broadly black. There are five digits on each foot, although the hallux and pollex are set back and do not appear in prints. The claws are long and curved, and slightly retractile. The metacarpal and metatarsal pads are reduced and fused, and form a small rounded bi-lobed pad. The perineal gland is well-developed, forming a doublepocketed invagination. This gland is visible externally as paired swellings (each about 30 mm long and 19 mm wide), with an oblong opening about 25 mm long that is kept closed by a pair of labia (which are everted when the secretion is applied). Inside each gland there is a large hair-lined sac; the secretion from the glands enters a space that functions as a storage reservoir. Up to 15 g of civet oil can be extracted each week from captive animals. Anal glands are present, but are simple; they are situated in the wall of the rectum and open directly into the rectum. There are two pairs of teats. The skull is heavily built with developed crests, especially in males. The auditory bullae are large and oval, with the posterior chamber rounded and swollen. The paroccipital process is well-developed and extends beyond the bullae ventrally. The post-orbital constriction is not well marked and the post-orbital processes are short and blunt. Dental formula: I 3/3,C1/1,P4/4,M 2/2 = 40. The canines are short and heavily built. The carnassials and post-carnassial teeth are well-developed; the molars are blunt and broad, adapted for crushing.

Habitat. Forest and open habitats (particularly with dense ground cover). Often associated with riverine habitat in drier regions and sometimes found in plantations and near human settlements. Found up to 1700 m. In Ethiopia, a radio-tracked male used Hagenia and Juniper forests (62% of the time), bush (19%), grassland (11%), and farmland (8%).

Food and Feeding. Omnivorous: invertebrates, fruits, small vertebrates, eggs, and grass. In Zimbabwe, an examination of 27 stomachs revealed that during the warm, wet summer months (October to April), 70% contained insects, (predominantly grasshoppers and beetles), followed by 40% fruits, 30% rodents ( Muridae , mainly multimammate mice Mastomys spp. , and the Angoni Vlei Rat, Otomys angoniensis), 30% reptiles, 20% amphibians, 20% myriapodes, 20% grass, and 10% birds. In the colder, dryer months (May to September), the highest percentage of occurrence was 57% fruits, followed by 43% insects, 43% Muridae , 21% birds, 21% grass, 14% reptiles, and 7% amphibians. Animal prey also included Scrub Hare (Lepus saxatilis), Banded Mongoose, Common Slender Mongoose, Smith’s Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus cepapr), South African Spring Hare (Pedetes capensis), and helmeted guineatowl (Numida meleagris). Carrion of Impala (Aepyceros melampus), Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), Bushbuck (7: scriptus), and Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) was also eaten. A similar diet has been reported in West and East Africa, but aquatic organisms (crabs, snails, and mudskippers) were also eaten. In Nigeria, stomach contents contained rodents, reptiles, insects, birds, amphibians, gastropods, and plants. In the Central African Republic, the frequency of occurrence in scats was 97% arthropods, 73% fruits, 30% rodents, 3% reptiles, and 3% birds. In Zaire, scats contained eleven fruit species ( Arecaceae , Burseraceae , Moraceae , Myristicaceae , and Sapindaceae ); seasonal variations were observed and a wider diversity of fruits was consumed during the rainy season. A civet feeding on a fruiting tree immediately exploited a nearby outbreak of millipedes. Their behavior in captivity suggests that they detect their prey mainly by scent and sound, rather than vision. Animal prey is seized by the mouth, the paws are not usually used in the capture and the killing bite is often directed at the head. Various methods have been observed when attacking live prey: run-away bite (a quick nip aimed at any part of the prey’s body, followed by instant release and retreat); bite-and-throw (the prey is held long enough to be thrown quickly aside with a quick movement of the head); bite-and-shake (the grip is retained and the prey is shaken to break the vertebrae); killing bite (the jaws bite home firmly).

Activity patterns. Predominantly nocturnal, with peaks in activity one to two hours before sunset until midnight, and around sunrise. Occasionally seen in the morning or afternoon on overcast days. In Ethiopia, diurnal rest sites were in dense vegetation on the ground, mostly in an area of dense Juniper forest (nine out of eleven sites). In Zaire, African Civets selected dens close to fruit-bearing trees and moved away when the fruiting season was over.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Solitary, although groups consisting of an adult and young have been observed. Terrestrial; they are poor climbers, but are known to clamber along low stout branches to get at ripening fruit. In Ethiopia, a radio-collared sub-adult male had a home range of 11-1 km? the core area was 0-4 km?, centered on Hagenia and Juniper forests. On one occasion, this male was found within 20 meters of a White-tailed Mongoose. African Civets deposit their feces in latrines (civetries); these are usually located along game trails and in clearings and may play a role in marking territories. Some are used frequently and then abandoned for periods of several months. They tend to use the same sites, even when the accumulation of scats is removed. In Zimbabwe, latrines were found in Asparagus thickets, in grassland, and in the cover of dense reed beds. In Zaire, four latrines were separated by several kilometres; each one was used by a single civet. These latrines were in natural hollows in the ground left by uprooted trees (35-65 cm deep and 60-170 cm wide), and all were close to a river (8-30 m). Urine may also play a role in scent marking: captive males have been observed to sniff a female’s urine, which prompted them to flehm. African Civets scent-mark objects with their perineal gland secretion (called civet), both on the ground and on vertical surfaces. In South Africa, they were found to mark trees (50%), rocks (29%), shrubs (19%), and herbs (10%); the mean height of marks above ground was 35 cm. They mark trees and shrubs that bear fruits eaten by them and also at or nearcivetries. Scent marks retain a strong musk odor for one month and are still detectable after four months. To mark a tree, the civet backs up, raises its tail, and presses the everted perineal gland against the trunk. Both sexes scent-mark, but males do it more frequently than females (the perineal gland is larger in the male). Captive females mark horizontal surfaces more than vertical ones; the opposite is true for males. Young animals scent-mark only in the squatting posture, whereas adults only perform the backing-up technique. African Civets do not emit perineal civet when alarmed, but they do sometimes mark when anxious or feeling insecure. Their senses of smell and hearing are acute (particularly for high pitched sounds). When at ease and alert, they move with the head held higher than the shoulder and the legs well extended. When anxious or in fear, they lower their head and flex the legs; the whole body sags, the eyes are narrowed, and the erectile crest is depressed. In a defensive threat, the dorsal crest is erected, the head is directed toward the source of alarm, and the body is turned sideways so that the change in size is visible to the opponent. An appeasement posture has been observed in captive civets and consists of lying down on one side. Although generally silent, several distinct vocalizations have been detected in captive animals: growl (frequently emitted by a female in defense of her kittens); cough-spit (when a terrified civet is approached); and scream (heard during serious fights). There are three different types of meow: a distress meow from kittens; a cat-like meow (made by the female during copulation); and the female sex call (emitted by the female before and during estrus). The most frequent vocalization is the contact call: a short sound, usually repeated three or four times, and sounds like “ha-ha-ha” emitted with the mouth closed.

Breeding. Breeding seems to occur throughout the year in West Africa, but there may be favored breeding seasons in East Africa (March to October) and southern Africa (August to January). Sexual maturity is attained at around twelve months. Females are polyoestrous and can have two or three litters a year; the estrus period appears to last up to six days. Natal den sites are in holes made by other animals or in cavities under tangled roots. Breeding behavior has been observed in captivity. As the female comes into estrus, the male and female became more aggressive, the male gives more contact calls, and both sexes increase their locomotor activity. The male makes several mounting attempts before the female accepts him; she will often move away and sometimes turn to snap at the male. When the female is receptive, she shows this by breaking into a run and inciting the male to pursue her. After several unsuccessful mounting attempts, the female finally lies down (with her hindquarters slightly raised) and permits the male to mount. The male places his forelegs on both sides of the female’s shoulders and makes treading movements with his hindlegs on each side of her flanks. Pelvic thrusting then takes place, during which the male bites the female’s fur between the shoulders. During copulation, the female gives a long meow; the male dismounts after forty seconds. After copulating, each civetlicks its genitals. Copulations take place at night. Gestation is 60 to 81 days. Litter size in captivity ranges from one to four. The young are born with short dark soft fur; the neck stripe is present, but is pale grayish and less conspicuous than in the adult. The facial pattern is indistinct, but the white muzzle marks are present. The perineal gland in the young is genet-like; the pouch is marked by an area of pale hairs, in the center of which the naked lips of the gland are visible. In female young, there is a patch of naked skin around the anus and a hairless isthmus links the lips of the gland. At one month old, the dark hairlines that traverse the adult pocket start to appear. Growth of the pocket conceals the naked lips, which are then only visible when everted. The eyes are open at birth or within the first few days. Newborns can crawl at birth; at five days they can stand on their hindlegs. They start to play at 14 days and to explore outside the den at 17-18 days. The motherlicks her young all over, with special attention to the perineal region, and consumes the urine and feces voided in response to this stimulation. The young are not given the opportunity to urinate independently before they are 25 days old. They are dependant on the mother’s milk for up to six weeks; they usually suckle from the posterior teats and it seems that each young always uses the same one. They start eating solid food in their second month and weaning occurs at around 14 to 16 weeks. In the second month, the young begin to catch insects and at 42 days the mother provides solid food. Mouth suckling (the young lick their mother’s mouth) is exhibited immediately before the mother begins to provide solid food. Weights of young are: 162 g at six days; 440-540 g at 17 days; 480-550 g at 21 days; and 680-810 g at 33 days. During the fifth month, the young begin to mark vertical objects with the backing-up technique, the perineal gland secretion becomes strongly scented, and males first flehm in response to female urine.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Considered common and widespread, and is not thought to be threatened. However, some local populations could be threatened by hunting and civet farming. African Civets are hunted and sold in markets for bushmeat and for their skins. They are also kept on farms in Ethiopia for the purpose of extracting their perineal secretions for the perfume industry. Although exact numbers are not known, one estimate is that there are 180 civet farmers holding over 2700 African Civets. They are not bred on these farms and to replenish those that die, new animals are taken from the wild. There is still not much known about this species acrossits range and field studies are needed.

Bibliography. Admasu et al. (2004b), Angelici (2000), Angelici, Luiselli, Politano & Akani (1999), Colyn et al. (2004), Duckworth (1995), Ewer & Wemmer (1974), Guy (1977), Hoppe-Dominik (1990), Jacob & Schliemann (1983), Kock et al. (2000), Mallinson (1969), Pendje (1994), Pocock (1915e), Randall (1977, 1979), Ray (1995, In press), Ray & Sunquist (2001), Sillero-Zubiri & Marino (1997), Skinner & Chimimba (2005), Stuart & Stuart (1998), Veron (1999), Wozencraft (2005).

Figures

1. Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica), 2. African Civet (Civettictis civetta), 3. Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina), 4. Large-spotted Civet (Viverra megaspila), 5. Malay Civet (Viverra tangalunga), 6. Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha)

Subspecies and Distribution. C. c. civetta Schreber, 1776 — S Mauritania and Senegal E to Ethiopia and Somalia , and S to Gabon . C. c. australis Lundholm, 1955 — Zambia and E Botswana to Malawi and Mozambique , and S to South Africa and Swaziland . C. c. congica Cabrera, 1929 — S Sudan , DR Congo and Rwanda , S to Angola and N Zambia . C. c. pauli Kock, Kunzel & Rayaleh, 2000 — Djibouti . C. c. schwarz Cabrera, 1929 — S Somalia , Kenya , Uganda , and Tanzania (including Zanzibar I). C. c. volkmanni: Lundholm, 1955 — NE Namibia and N Botswana .