A row of black erectile hairs is usually present along the middle of the back. The tail has black and white rings. Melanistic individuals seem to be fairly common. Genets have a long body, short legs, a pointed snout, prominent and rounded ears, short and curved retractile claws, and soft and dense hair. They have the ability to emit a musky-smelling fluid from their anal glands.
Females have two pairs of abdominal mammae.
Genets inhabit forests, savannahs, and grasslands. They are active at night, usually spending the day in a rock crevice, in a burrow excavated by some other animal, in a hollow tree, or on a large branch. They seem to return daily to the same shelter. They climb trees to prey on nesting and roosting birds, but much of their food is taken on the ground. At the same time, the body seems to lengthen.