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Civettictis

African civet
Civettictis civetta 11.jpg
African civet
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Subfamily: Viverrinae
Genus: Civettictis
Pocock, 1915
Species: C. civetta
Binomial name
Civettictis civetta
(Schreber, 1776)
Subspecies

C. c. australis Lundholm, 1955
C. c. civetta (Schreber, 1776)
C. c. congica Cabrera, 1929
C. c. pauli Kock, Künzel and Rayaleh, 2000
C. c. schwarzi Cabrera, 1929
C. c. volkmanni Lundholm, 1955

Habitat range of the African civet.jpg
Range of the African civet
Synonyms

C. c. australis Lundholm, 1955
C. c. civetta (Schreber, 1776)
C. c. congica Cabrera, 1929
C. c. pauli Kock, Künzel and Rayaleh, 2000
C. c. schwarzi Cabrera, 1929
C. c. volkmanni Lundholm, 1955

The African civet (Civettictis civetta) /ˈsɪvɪt/ is the largest representative of the African Viverridae and the sole member of its genus. It is considered common and widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is primarily nocturnal and spends the day sleeping in dense vegetation. It is a mammal that has a unique coloration: the black and white stripes and blotches covering the coarse pelage of the animal are extremely variable and allow it to be cryptic. The black bands surrounding its eyes closely resemble those of the raccoon. Other distinguishing features are its disproportionately large hindquarters and its erectile dorsal crest.

The African civet is an omnivorous generalist, taking small vertebrates, invertebrates, eggs, carrion, and vegetable matter. It is capable of taking on poisonous invertebrates and snakes. Prey is primarily detected by smell and sound rather than by sight. It prefers riverine habitats and woodlands.

Like all civets it has perineal glands that produce a fluid known as civet, which it spreads on markers in its territory to claim its range. It is used in the perfume industry.


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