African Civet Research Paper
African Civet (Civetticus Civetta)
Due to scarce fossil records, the official origin of this species is currently unknown. However the first appearance of viverridae in Europe occurs in the early Oligocene & the Miocene Periods in Africa. Studies also suggest that their skeletal morphology & tooth structure have remained the same for an estimated 40-50 million years. Civets, Genets, and Linsangs have long, sinewy bodies, elongated heads with pointed snouts and especially strong claws. Most have shorter fur with a more slender appearance and a tail that can exceed body length. Although the civet species is very diverse, their adaptations are based upon the niche they occupy. The African civet has digitigrade feet, non/semi-retractable claws,
short tails, with striped & spotted fur. African covets live in the forest and open country in Africa. They act as a pest control for poisonous insects and also producing a musk know as civetone that has a variety of industrial applications in the cosmetic industry, especially in perfume. African civets are primarily nocturnal and they adapt by being able to climb trees and well as being able to jump to and from them. Most civets have different adaptations based on the niche that they occupy. For example: Aquatic species for example have bare soles, plantigrade feet, uniform pelage and long tails. Since there is no definitive origin of the species or any change in skeletal pattern, some suggest that they have derived from the family feliformia. Potential ancestors for the civet are the family feliformia
Otter Civet (Cyanogale Bennetti) In many ways otter civets are similar to the Hose's Palm civet, except with no white underparts and a shorter tail. The otter civets possess webbed feet with bare soles and larger claws compared to others with retractable claws. These civets are specialized in swimming and acts as a predator to fish, mollusks, and birds. Typically live in secondary and bamboo forests mostly in peat swamps. These civets use their webbed feet to swim in water, albeit not very fast, and catch prey unlike their terrestrial counterparts. It is said to be related to the Hose's Palm civet and there could've been a potential mutation that was involved with the aquatic genet. Their said ancestors are to be members of Clade Hemigainae, Hemigalus, Chrotogale, Diplogale, and Macrogalidia
Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata)
This civet's morphology resembles others, but it has a distinctive and unique body pattern that is also different from others. Unlike most civets, their fur lacks any distinctive markings such as spots and stripes, except for a mask that is made of a prominent white stripe stretching from the nose to the forehead followed by a mask that covers most of the cheeks; almost taking on a skunk like appearance. This particular civet sits primarily at the top of the food chain and are an integral part of predator-prey relationship. Masked Palm civets are found in a variety of ecosystems such as deciduous forests and mountainous regions in Asia. They help rebalance the ecosystem after a natural disaster by dispersing seeds and feces throughout. Adaptive traits include having retractable claws built for climbing trees and catching any prey they can find. Although they have cat like behaviors, civets share no relation with felines but are believed to have derived from the weasel and mongoose
Two of the oldest species of Malagasy Carnivora are the Malagasy civet & fossa, which are ancestors of the mongoose and civet.
Due to scarce fossil records, the official origin of this species is currently unknown. However the first appearance of viverridae in Europe occurs in the early Oligocene & the Miocene Periods in Africa. Studies also suggest that their skeletal morphology & tooth structure have remained the same for an estimated 40-50 million years. Civets, Genets, and Linsangs have long, sinewy bodies, elongated heads with pointed snouts and especially strong claws. Most have shorter fur with a more slender appearance and a tail that can exceed body length. Although the civet species is very diverse, their adaptations are based upon the niche they occupy. The African civet has digitigrade feet, non/semi-retractable claws,
short tails, with striped & spotted fur. African covets live in the forest and open country in Africa. They act as a pest control for poisonous insects and also producing a musk know as civetone that has a variety of industrial applications in the cosmetic industry, especially in perfume. African civets are primarily nocturnal and they adapt by being able to climb trees and well as being able to jump to and from them. Most civets have different adaptations based on the niche that they occupy. For example: Aquatic species for example have bare soles, plantigrade feet, uniform pelage and long tails. Since there is no definitive origin of the species or any change in skeletal pattern, some suggest that they have derived from the family feliformia. Potential ancestors for the civet are the family feliformia
Otter Civet (Cyanogale Bennetti) In many ways otter civets are similar to the Hose's Palm civet, except with no white underparts and a shorter tail. The otter civets possess webbed feet with bare soles and larger claws compared to others with retractable claws. These civets are specialized in swimming and acts as a predator to fish, mollusks, and birds. Typically live in secondary and bamboo forests mostly in peat swamps. These civets use their webbed feet to swim in water, albeit not very fast, and catch prey unlike their terrestrial counterparts. It is said to be related to the Hose's Palm civet and there could've been a potential mutation that was involved with the aquatic genet. Their said ancestors are to be members of Clade Hemigainae, Hemigalus, Chrotogale, Diplogale, and Macrogalidia
Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata)
This civet's morphology resembles others, but it has a distinctive and unique body pattern that is also different from others. Unlike most civets, their fur lacks any distinctive markings such as spots and stripes, except for a mask that is made of a prominent white stripe stretching from the nose to the forehead followed by a mask that covers most of the cheeks; almost taking on a skunk like appearance. This particular civet sits primarily at the top of the food chain and are an integral part of predator-prey relationship. Masked Palm civets are found in a variety of ecosystems such as deciduous forests and mountainous regions in Asia. They help rebalance the ecosystem after a natural disaster by dispersing seeds and feces throughout. Adaptive traits include having retractable claws built for climbing trees and catching any prey they can find. Although they have cat like behaviors, civets share no relation with felines but are believed to have derived from the weasel and mongoose
Two of the oldest species of Malagasy Carnivora are the Malagasy civet & fossa, which are ancestors of the mongoose and civet.