Cape Genet
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| Cape Genet | ||||||||||||||
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| Genetta tigrina (Schreber, 1776) |
The Cape Genet (Genetta tigrina), also known as the Blotched Genet or the Large-spotted Genet, is a carnivore mammal, related to the African Linsang and to the civets. It can be found in Africa from Senegal to Somalia, and south to Namibia and South Africa, though is absent from the continent's southwestern arid zones. Like other genets, it is nocturnal and arboreal.
Similar in appearance to the Common Genet (G. genetta), the Cape Genet has yellowish-grey fur with rust-coloured and black rosettes, with a black and white tail. Individuals from drier areas of South Africa tend to have lighter colours and less stark patterns, while the opposite is the case in moister areas. Melanistic individuals are not unknown.
Its diet is varied, and includes rodents, birds, reptiles, fruit, and invertebrates. Like all viverrids, it has strong scent glands which it uses to mark its territory.
The Cape Genet is one of the species of genet kept as exotic pets, in the U.S.A. and elsewhere.
[edit] References
- ^ Mustelid Specialist Group (1996). Genetta tigrina. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-19.
[edit] External links
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