A small carnivore of the civet family, Viverridae. Genets are closely related to civets and linsangs. There are ten species in the genus Genetta , mainly African, although some extend into the Middle East and one, the common genet, Genetta genetta , occurs in southern Europe, where it is probably native.
Genets feed on a variety of small birds, rodents, and insects.
They also take fruit and the West African forest genet, G. maculata , has been found to sip nectar, pollinating the flowers in the process. The aquatic genet, Osbornictis piscivora , is known from only 16 specimens from the Democratic Republic of Congo. A Dictionary of Geography 4. All rights reserved.