The color pattern of the body is composed of black spots on a grayish or tawny ground color. The crest is marked by a black spinal stripe, which runs from the shoulders to the tail, and the tail is banded or ringed with black and white. The feet are black. In V. zibetha and V. tangalunga the third and fourth digits of the forefeet are provided with lobes of skin that act as protective sheaths for the retractile claws. Viverra is distinguished from Viverricula by its larger size, by the presence of a dorsal crest of erectile hairs, and by the insertion of the ears, the inner edges of which are set farther apart on the forehead.
Oriental civets occur in a wide variety of habitats in forest, brush, and grassland.
They stay in dense cover by day and come out into the open at night. They are mainly terrestrial and often live in holes in the ground dug by other animals. They apparently can climb readily but seldom do so. Like Viverricula, they are often found near villages and are common over most of their range. Like most civets, they are easily trapped.