Paradoxurus stenocephalus

Golden dry-zone palm civet
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Viverridae
Genus:	Paradoxurus
Species:	P. aureus
Binomial name
Paradoxurus stenocephalus Groves et. al., 2009

Paradoxurus stenocephalus, or the golden dry-zone palm civet, is a viverrid species point endemic to Sri Lanka where it is known as ශ්‍රී ලංකා රන් කලවැද්දා in Sinhala. It was considered as the same species as Paradoxurus aureus, but confined to new species status recently.

Body color is golden brown as relative P. aureus. But it clearly separates from that species by having dark brown stripes, usually three, from shoulder to the base of the tail. Ventral area is pale golden brown and can be easily separated due to clear color phases in dorsal and ventral areas.

Recent investigations and from traps, it is believed that the animal can be found in Wilpattu National Park, Haputale, and nearby cities.

Initially, all three endemic civet species in Sri Lanka was considered as a single species. But recent phylogenetic experiments, genetic makeup and morphogenetics, single species Paradoxurus aureus was split into three separate species in the same genus Paradoxurus. The other two endemic species are Paradoxurus montanus and Paradoxurus stenocephalus.

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