Genetta thierryi Matschie 1902
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Carnivora
Viverridae
Genetta
Genetta thierryi

description: 21.
Hausa Genet
Genetta thierryi
French: Genette de Thierry / German: Haussa-Genette / Spanish: Gineta Hausa
Other common names: Thierry's Genet, Villiers's Genet
Taxonomy. Genetta thierryi Matschie, 1902,
Borgou, Togo.
The type specimen of G. rubiginosa is actually G. thierryi. Was sometimes considered a subspecies of G. tigrina or G. maculata. Monotypic.
Distribution. W Africa from Senegal to Nigeria and Cameroon.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 44.3-45 cm, tail 40-43 cm, hindfoot 6.7-5 cm, ear 3-5— 4 cm; weight 1.3-1. 5 kg. A small genet with a short pelage and no dorsal crest. Both sexes are similar in color and size. The coat varies from yellow-brown and pale gray to pale beige; the ventral pelage is grayish-white. The nuchal stripes are either irregular or marked by two thin parallel lines. The continuous mid-dorsal line is rufous-brown; it starts after the shoulder and is usually split longitudinally by a line of pale hairs, at least in the upper part. The dorsal spots are rufous-brown, elongated, and aligned in two rows; the row flanking the mid-dorsal line partially coalesces just before the rump. The spots of the flank, thigh and shoulder, are smaller and darker. The facial mask is lightly marked. The muzzle and forehead are pale gray, with a thin dark vertical line on the muzzle. The sub-ocular white spots are well marked, but the supra-ocular spots are absent. The ears are rounded. The tail is narrow, but the base is thicker and has longer hairs. There are usually eight or nine pale rings alternating with dark rings, but the markings are indistinct due to brownish or rufous extensions of the dark rings. The width ofthe pale rings relative to the dark rings in the middle of the tail is 100%. Dark hairs cover the last pale ring; the tip of the tail is dark. The forelimbs, lower hindlimbs, and feet are unspotted and are the same color as the coat. The line bordering the outer side of the forefoot pads and innerside of the hindfoot pads is brown. The central depression of the forefoot is hairless. There are two pairs ofteats. In juveniles, the general coloration is darker and the pattern of spots is irregular. The mid-dorsal line is present and the markings of the tail are identical to the adult. The skull has an elongated post-orbital process. The posterior chamber of the auditory bulla is ventrally inflated and has a continuous curve line on the external side. The premaxillary-frontal contact is absent. The maxillary-palatine suture is anterior to the main cusp of P?. The ratio between the inter-orbital constriction and frontal width is 1 + 0-12. Dental formula: 13/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/2 = 40.
Habitat. Moist and dry savannahs, with open woodlands. Also found in moist woodlands (Guinea-Bissau), rainforest (Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Ivory Coast), and dry wooded steppes (Senegal).
Food and Feeding. Nothing known.
Activity patterns. A few observations suggest it is nocturnal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Nothing known.
Breeding. In Mali, two sub adults (8-10 months old) were collected in early November. Thought to bear young in holes dug in the ground or amongst rocks. A juvenile was found asleep in a dead tree in the Ivory Coast.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Considered rare and is poorly known. There may be no major threats; however, this species has been reported from bushmeat markets throughout its range and there is some international traffic for the skins or as pets. Field surveys and ecological studies are needed.
Bibliography. Bourliére et al. (1974), Crawford-Cabral (1981), Gaubert & Dunham (In press b), Gaubert, Taylor & Veron (2005), Gaubert, Tranier et al. (2004), Gaubert, Veron & Tranier (2002), Halternorth & Diller (1985), Rosevear (1974), Wozencraft (2005).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Viverridae, pp. 174-232 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 190-191, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5714564