SEAVR 2023: 027-029
ISSN: 2424-8525
Date of publication: 08 October 2023
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

First published record of Asian Palm Civet, Paradoxurus philippinensis
in Mt. Arayat National Park, Pampanga province, Philippines
Yu-Sing LIN & Ace Kevin S. AMARGA
linyusing89329@gmail.com (Lin), ace_amarga061@yahoo.com (Amarga)

Collaborators: Hui-Yun Tseng, Jing-Fu Tsai, Yu-Feng Hsu, Erin Krichilsky, Zong-Yu Shen, Shan-Min Chen, Larry
Cahilog, Luisito Terbio.
Photographs by: Yu-Sing Lin.
Subject identified by: Ace Kevin S. Amarga, Desamarie Antonette P. Fernandez.
Location: Mt. Arayat National Park, Magalang municipality, Pampanga province, Luzon Island, Philippines(15°12’19.4” N, 120°44’09.6” E)
Elevation: 650-700 metres ASL.
Habitat: Lowland secondary forest.
Date and time: 04 July 2023, 19:17 hrs.
Identity of subject: Asian Palm Civet, Paradoxurus philippinensis (Mammalia: Carnivora: Viverridae).
Description of record: During a short biodiversity survey an adult Paradoxurus philippinensis was spotted andphotographed resting on a tree branch approximately 10 meters above the ground (Fig. 1) in lowland secondaryforest (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1. Adult Paradoxurus philippinensis© Yu-Sing Lin27

Fig. 2. Lowland secondary forest, Mt. Arayat National Park

© Yu-Sing LinRemarks:
The photograph (Fig. 1) clearly shows an Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus philippinensis Jourdan), one of two civet
species occurring in the Philippines; the other extant species is Viverra tangalunga Gray (Heaney et al. 2016). Theformer was first described as Viverra hermaphrodita by the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas (Pallas, 1777).
Subsequently, the French zoologist Claude Jourdan described Paradoxurus philippinensis from specimens
collected from Luzon & Mindanao islands (Jourdan, 1837). Many published accounts of Asian Palm Civet in thePhilippines were under the name P. hermaphroditus (e.g., Heideman et al., 1987; Heaney et al., 1991, 1999, 2006;
Esselstyn et al., 2004; Marler et al., 2018) while some references used P. philippinensis (e.g., Thomas, 1909; Timm& Birney, 1980; Gruezo & Soligam, 1990). However, based on genetic analyses of Paradoxurus civets, Veron et al.
(2015) suggested that the Asian Palm Civet occurring in the Philippines is P. philippinensis, along with thoseoccurring in Borneo and Mentawai Islands (Indonesia).
Paradoxurus philippinensis tends to occupy a wide range of habitats including primary and secondary forests, aswell as agroforests and cultivated lands such as coconut and coffee plantations. This species is omnivorous andhas been reported to utilize a variety of food items including Ficus spp., wild banana, palm fruits (e.g., Saribus
rotundifolius and Pinanga insignis) as well as invertebrates and vertebrates (Gruezo & Soligam, 1990; Heaney etal., 2016; de Guia et al., 2020). Due to their predominantly frugivorous diet, P. philippinensis plays an importantrole in forest regeneration via fruit and seed dispersal. In terms of distribution, this species is found across thePhilippine archipelago and has been recorded on several islands including Basilan, Catanduanes, Dinagat, Luzon,Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, and Panay (Günther, 1879; Timm & Birney, 1980; Heideman et al., 1987;
Esselstyn et al., 2004; Heaney et al., 1991, 2006, 2016).
Despite being a renowned protected area, Mt. Arayat volcano lacks published documentation and checklists ofseveral faunistic groups. To our knowledge, this account represents the first published record of the Asian Palm
Civet (P. philippinensis) in Mt. Arayat National Park. Furthermore, additional ecological research on population
trends, dietary items and threats is recommended to further understand the natural history of P. philippinensis inMt. Arayat National Park.
Permit: This research was authorized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Biodiversity
Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) under the Wildlife Gratuitous Permit No. 320.

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Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the following colleagues and institutions: DENR-BMB for
providing fieldwork permits; Mt. Arayat Expedition Team 2023 for various field assistance: Dr. Hui-Yun Tseng, Dr.
Jing-Fu Tsai, Dr. Yu-Feng Hsu, Erin Krichilsky, Zong-Yu Shen, Shan-Min Chen and Larry Cahilog; Wilson Xavier
Eloreta (DENR III Regional Office) & Luisito Terbio (Pampanga State Agricultural University) for accommodationand fieldwork logistics.
References:
De Guia, A.P.O., Chavez, G.C.S., Fernandez, D.A.P. (2020) Distribution and diet of the common palm civet(Paradoxurus philippinensis) in the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Luzon Island, Philippines. Philippine Science
Letters 13(1): 28-33.
Esselstyn, J.A., Widmann, P., and Heaney, L.R. (2004) The mammals of Palawan Island, Philippines. Proceedings ofthe Biological Society of Washington 117(3): 271-302.
Gruezo, W.S. and Soligam, A.C. (1990) Identity and germination of seeds from feces of the Philippine palm civet(Paradoxurus philippinensis Jourdan). Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society 38: 69-82.
Günther, A.C.L.G. (1879) List of the mammals, reptiles and batrachians sent by Mt. Everett from the Philippineislands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society London 1879: 74-79.
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