Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Pallas, 1777)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Viverridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 174-232 : 196-197

28.

Common Palm Civet

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus

French: Civette hermaphrodite / German: Fleckenmusang / Spanish: Musang

Taxonomy. Viverra hermaphrodita Pallas, 1777 ,

type locality unknown.

The number of subspecies is debated and over thirty have been described; a taxonomic revision is needed. Included here is the Mentawai Palm Civet (P. lignicolor), endemic to the Mentawai Islands, which is sometimes considered a separate species.

Distribution. Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to China, Mainland SE Asia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Philippines, and many ssa small islands. Also scattered records in Sulawesi, Moluccan Is, Timor, and the Aru Is, probably resulting from introductions. Presence uncertain in Papua New Guinea. Introduced to Japan in the late 1800s.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 42-71 cm,tail 33-66 cm, hindfoot 7-9 cm, ear 4.1-4. 9 cm; weight 2-5 kg. Smaller on islands, notably Borneo. A small civet with a dark mask and long tail. The coat color is gray, grayish-brown or rusty; the body spots and stripes are brown or black. The head pattern is very variable, but generally consists of a dark mask, with white or pale gray patches below the eyes, on the forehead, and at the bases of the ears. Variations include: a muzzle with white nose patches, ear and forehead patches that are fused, facial patches that are very small, and facial patterns that are absent or very faint. The rhinarium is large and has a deep groove in the middle. There are black spots along the back that merge to form three lines, which run longitudinally from the shoulders to the base of the tail. The spots on the flanks are well separated, but tend to be in rows. This pattern is variable and can be obscure in some populations; on Borneo and the Philippines, the whole body can be dark brown or black, and the stripe pattern is indistinguishable. In the northern parts of the range, the length of the guard hairs seems to vary seasonally; when the pelage is long, the coat pattern tendsto be faint. Some individuals have faint rings at the base of the tail, and the tail tip can sometimes be white or yellow. The feet have five digits. The metapodial pads are large and not well separated from the plantar pads. They cover the whole sole and the area between them is naked. On the hindfoot, the third and fourth digit pads are fused at their base. The perineal gland is simple and consists of a naked elongated area. There are three pairs of teats, but the third pair is reduced. The skull is long and low, with prominent post-orbital processes, low crests, a rising rather than flat zygomatic arch, and a marked post-orbital constriction. The posterior chamber of the auditory bullae is ovoid and extends anteriorly, covering largely the anterior chamber. Dental formula: 13/3, C1/1,P 4/4, M 2/2 = 40. The carnassials have reduced shearing blades. Sometimes the upper carnassial is short and triangular, with a strong postlingual cingulum; it also can be elongated and narrower, with a reduced post-lingual cingulum. The shape of the premolars and molars is variable. The first premolars are reduced; the second and third premolars are rather simple and pointed. The teeth of old individuals are often very worn.

Habitat. A wide range of habitats, including evergreen and deciduous forest (primary and secondary), plantations, and around human dwellings and settlements. Found up to 2400 m. In Thailand, one radio-collared male moved through an area that constituted 44% dry dipterocarp forest, 30% mixed deciduous forest, and 26% dry evergreen forest; another male moved within 55% dry dipterocarp forest, 32% dry evergreen forest, and 12% mixed deciduous forest.

Food and Feeding. Mainly frugivorous, but also eats small vertebrates and invertebrates. On Borneo, specimen stomachs contained 90% arthropods and 45% fruits and leaves (no vertebrate remains were found). In Nepal, 193 scats contained 85% fruits; insects, molluscs, small reptiles, birds, and small mammals were also included in the diet. The major source of fruit was Coffea benghalensis (from mid-December to February) and Bridelia stipularis (in March and April). All scats contained fruits during the fruiting seasons. When ripe fruits were not available, the diet shifted to small vertebrates and invertebrates. Field observations showed that they also fed on the nectar of Bombax ceiba and sap from the stems of Vallaris solanacea. In India, scats contained 83% fruits (including 23% papaya, Carica papaya), rodents (Roof Rats Rattus rattus, House Mice Mus musculus, and Indian Gerbils Tatera indica ), and insects (beetles and cockroaches). Common Palm Civets sometimes drink the juice (called “toddy’) from tapped coconut palms, hence the local colloquial name “Toddy Cat” for this species.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal. Camera-traps and field sightings have recorded this species as active during the night. In Thailand, radio-collared individuals were active over 50% of the time between 16:30 h and 04:30 h, with a peak between 19:30 h and 01:30 h. In Nepal, an adult female was active 79% of the time during the hours of darkness, and five other radio-tracked individuals were active from 18:00-04:00 h; they were more active on darker nights, and none of them left their resting sites when there was a full moon. Common Palm Civets rest in trees, choosing the tallest and largest tree in their immediate area at the onset of daylight. They rest more often in trees covered with dense vines (63%) than in trees with holes (21%) or without vines or holes (16%). Trees with vines or holes were used for several consecutive days, but those without these features were not. Common Palm Civets are also known to sleep in buildings. They rest alone, except for females with young. In Myanmar,rest sites were usually in tall trees (greater than 10 m in height) that had dense tangles of climbing plants (e.g. lianas). In shrubby areas, rest sites are in a tangle of shrubs (sometimes surrounding a tall tree), 2-3 m above the ground. About 45% ofrestsites were used once only; one site was used 55 times over a period of 294 days.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Solitary. Mainly arboreal, but can be active on the ground. In Nepal, a radio-collared adult female had a home range of 0-12 km? In another study in Nepal, three males had home ranges of 0-17, 0-17, and 0-20 km?, and two females had home ranges of 0-06 and 0-12 km*. Home ranges were smaller during February and June, when the fruits of Coffea benghalensis and Murraya koeniggii were abundant, and largest in March to May, when ripe fruits were clumped or scarce. There was considerable overlap of home ranges among adjacent civets, but this changed according to food availability; more overlap was observed when ripe fruiting trees were at low density or clumped in distribution. In Thailand, the home ranges of two males were 4-2 and 17 km?: a shift in the range of the latter male occurred during the study. Mean daily movements were from 660 m to 1 km. In another study in Thailand, two males had home ranges of 1-1 and 3-4 km*, and a female had a home range of 1-4 km? The mean daily movement was 0-43 km for males and 0-48 km for the female. Common Palm Civets deposit scats on the ground and on tree branches.

Breeding. Breeding seems to occur throughout the year, although young are more frequently seen between October and December. Littersize is two to five. The female often gives birth in a hollow tree. In Nepal, a female palm civet was captured in May with five young, estimated to be a week old; they were found in a den within a hollow tree. In captivity, gestation is 61 to 63 days. The eyes of neonates are closed and they weigh 69-102 g. They attain sexual maturity at 11-12 months.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix III ( India). Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. P. h. lignicolor (Mentawai Islands, Indonesia) is classified as Vulnerable. The subspecies kangeanus (Kangean Islands, Indonesia) and P. h. lignicolor are listed as Threatened in the 1989 IUCN Action Plan for the Conservation of Mustelids and Viverrids. Although widespread and generally considered common (even in disturbed habitats), on Borneo, it was found that the overall density of civets (including this species) in a logged forest was found to be significantly lower than in a primary forest. Common Palm Civets are often considered pests by fruit farmers and are killed. They are also trapped and traded for meat. Common Palm civets are kept as pets and used as rat catchers, which may explain why they were introduced to several areas. They may be under threat on the Mentawai Islands due to forest loss from commercial logging. Field surveys and ecological studies are needed to ascertain their distribution and conservation status, particularly on small islands on which they are known to occur.

Bibliography. Abegg (2003), Austin & Tewes (1999b), Azlan (2003, 2005), Bartels (1964), Blanford (1885a, 1885b), Corbet & Hill (1992), Davis (1962), Dhungle & Edge (1985), Duckworth (1997), Goldman (1982), Grassman (1998c), Groves (1984), Heydon & Bulloh (1996), Holden (2006), Joshi, Smith & Cuthbert (1995), Krishnakumar & Balakrishnan (2003), Krishnakumar et al. (2002), Lekagul & McNeely (1991), Long & Hoang (2006), Medway (1969), Payne et al. (1985), Pocock (1915f, 1933d, 1934a, 1934b, 1934c), Rabinowitz (1991), Schreiber et al. (1989), Su & Sale (2007), Veron (1999, 2001), Wozencraft (1984, 2005).

Figures

24. Small-toothed Palm Civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata), 25. Sulawesi Palm Civet (Macrogalidia musschenbroekii), 26. Binturong (Arctictis binturong), 27. Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata), 28. Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), 29. Brown Palm Civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni), 30. Golden Palm Civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis), 31. Otter Civet (Cynogale bennettii), 32. Owston’s Palm Civet (Chrotogale owstoni), 33. Banded Palm Civet (Hemugalus derbyanus), 34. Hose’s Palm Civet (Diplogale hosei)

Distribution. Pakistan , India , Sri Lanka , and Nepal to China , Mainland SE Asia, Peninsular Malaysia , Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Philippines , and many ssa small islands. Also scattered records in Sulawesi, Moluccan Is, Timor, and the Aru Is, probably resulting from introductions. Presence uncertain in Papua New Guinea . Introduced to Japan in the late 1800s.