African Civet

*For the African palm civet click here.*

## About

An African civet at dusk.

The African civet ***(Civetticis civetta)*** is the largest species of civet and the largest viverrid in Africa, it belongs to the viverridae family. African civets are quite large comparatively to other civet species, growing to a length of 67-84cm (26-33in) with a tail length of 34-47cm (13-19in). They can weigh up to 7-20kg (15-44lbs) and females are typically smaller in size compared to males. African civets have coarse yellowish-brown fur and a white underbelly. African civets also have notable white and black striped patterning on their collars. They have black spots on their body, which transition into stripes on the rump, lower tail and chest. The legs and tip of the tail are fully black or sometimes dark brown. African civets also have black or brown mask over their eyes, which transition into white on the muzzle and into greyish brown on the rest of the face. African civets have short legs in proportion to their body, as well as short faces, large eyes and rounded ears. The bare skin on the nose is dark brown or black.

## Diet

African civets are omnivorous animals however, they prefer to eat meat. These civets are excellent predators and hunt a variety of animals including; rodents, birds, eggs, lizards, insects and even crabs. If available, African civets will also eat carrion and even livestock such as poultry and lambs, which has lead to common human-wildlife conflict. As African civets are omnivorous, the species also commonly eats vegetation and African fruit and berry species. African civets are nocturnal animals and forage for their food at night.

## Conservation Status

African civets are classed as least concern by the IUCN and thus have no major threats. African civets are however, often found trapped and hunted in West and Central African regions, in order to be sold at markets for their meat, skin and fur. A more threatening factor that pressures the African civet population is, surprisingly the perfume industry. Civets produce a musk from the perineal gland on their body known as civetone. Civetone is used often as a perfume fixative and adds 'flavour'. Welfare issues have been raised regarding the civetone extraction, as individuals are treated poorly through abuse and are typically held in small cages, where they endure stress and usually fatality. Male civets are generally targeted more often by the perfume industry, as they produce much more civetone when compared to females. This may pose a separate threat to the species of sexual ratio imbalance, where there are more females than males.

## Range and Population

African civets have a vast range that extends to multiple regions of sub-Saharan Africa. African civets occur in the more humid regions of Chad, Mauritania, Niger and South Sudan however, they can also be found in the far Southern grassland and savanna regions in Eswatini and South Africa. African civets can often be found hunting for aquatic animals in inland wetlands, they will also not stray far from valuable water-sources. This has led the African civet to be classed as a semi-aquatic animal, being a very strong swimmer and a capable hunter in water. This may not be apparent to the uninformed, due to the animal's terrestrial-suited body plan. The semi-aquatic attribute in Viverrids is seldom seen, being found in very few species, with the most prominent being the aquatic genet ***(Genetta piscivora)***. Despite the fact that African civets are listed as a species of least concern, the animal's exact population is unknown currently however, their population is thought to be stable and large, corresponding with their vast range.

## Behaviour

African civets are territorial animals that mark the boundaries of their territories through the use of the perineal gland, located on the civet's anus. The glands -as previously stated-, secrete a greasy brownish liquid known as civetone. As African civets are nocturnal animals, they spend daylight hours laying dormant in thick vegetation, in order to avoid detection from predatory animals. African civets may also rest in trees, they are known to be capable climbers and are semi-arboreal. Whilst hunting, African civets will remain in denser areas, despite the pre-existing cover of the night. African civets hunt most prominently during these hours and during the hours of twilight/dusk. They are solitary animals and thus hunt alone however, during the breeding season, congregations of up to 15 African civets can be formed. The female will give birth to a litter of up to 4 cubs however, as African civets are polyestrous and may birth 2-3 litters yearly. After a short gestation period of a few months, the cubs will be birthed and raised in an underground burrow. The mother will reside with them until the cubs reach 2 months of age, which is when they will become independent, hunting and catching prey themselves. Unlike many mammals, civet cubs are born with complete coats and capable eyesight. Cubs will begin to walk at 5 days, leave the burrow at 17-18 days and begin to play fight at around 2 weeks (According to Siyabona Africa). African civets will not dig this burrow themselves, instead the burrow is typically pre-abandoned, leaving it empty for the civets to take over.

### Relationship with Humans

As previously stated, male civets in particular commonly have their civetone extracted from them for the benefit of the perfume industry. This is a cruel and inhumane process however, that involves the wild-capturing of African civets, in order for extraction. After capture African civets are kept in unfavourable conditions, such as small cages. Often these environments can cause so much stress for the animals that it can cause premature death. Typically an African civet may produce up to 4g (.14oz) in civetone, which will be extracted and implemented into perfumes as a 'flavouring' or fixative. This process rarely occurs on such a large scale currently, due to rising issues surrounding animal welfare. When threatened an African civet will arch its back, similarly to a domestic cat ***(Felis catus)***, this display causes the civet's size to become warped, making them appear larger than their opponent. If this threatening display is to fail, the civet will snarl, growl or cough, warning their opponent to stay away.

## In Captivity

The African civet is extremely uncommon in zoos. It can be found at 3 zoos currently, with two in Czechia and one in Georgia

## Sources

* IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41695/147992107
* Civet | Britannica - https://www.britannica.com/animal/civet-mammal-Viverridae-family#ref254808
* Civetone | Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civetone
* African Civet | Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African\_civet
* African Civet | A-Z Animals - https://a-z-animals.com/animals/african-civet/#single-animal-text
* Central Africa's Most Wanted: African Civet | BioWeb - http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2014/wolf\_kale/interactions.htm#
* African Civet | Siyabona Africa - https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa\_civet.html
* African Civet | Lit Caf Encyclopedia - https://litcaf.com/african-civet/
* African Civet | ZOOINSTITUTES - https://zooinstitutes.com/animals/african-civet-1929/