He referred the populations to the south of the Sahara and in the southwestern Arabian Peninsula to a separate species, G. felina, and he showed that the reported presence of Genetta in Palestine is not correct. Some of the authorities cited above restrict G. tigrina to South Africa and Lesotho and assign the populations in the remainder of the range given above to the separate species G. rubiginosa, but Meester et al. Coloration is variable, but the body is generally grayish or yellowish, with brown or black spots and blotches on the sides, tending to be arranged in rows. 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.