Malabar Large-spotted Civet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Malabar Large-spotted Civet
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Genus: Viverra
Species: V. civettina
Binomial name
Viverra civettina
Blyth, 1862

The Malabar Large-spotted Civet (Viverra civettina), is a civet also known as the Malabar Civet and called Jawad in Malayalam, the local language of Kerala. The species was once common along the lowland coastal tracts of Kerala and Karnataka in South India. It became rare by the beginning of the 20th century, but was still often used for producing civit musk in the 1960's. In 1990, isolated populations of Malabar large spotted civet still survived in less disturbed areas of South Malabar.[2] In 1999, fewer than 250 mature individuals were thought to survive in the wild.[3]

Contents

[edit] Physical characteristics

The Malabar civet is considered by some authorities as Viverra megaspila civettina, a subspecies of the large spotted civet Viverra megaspila. Based on data for the large spotted civet, considered by others to be conspecific, it probably weighs 8 - 9 kg (18 - 20 lb).[4] Greyish in color with prominent black spots, a distinguishing feature of this small dog-sized civet is the presence of a crest of black erectile hair on the back, running from its shoulder to the tip of the tail.

[edit] Habitat

The Malabar large spotted civet's original habitat was found in the Malabar Coast moist forests belt below the Western Ghats, where it lived in wooded plains and adjoining hill slopes. It was once very common in the coastal districts of Malabar and Travancore. Extensive deforestation has reduced the Malabar forests to a series of isolated patches. Cashew plantations are a refuge, which probably hold most of the surviving populations of Malabar civet, and are now threatened by large-scale clearance for rubber plantations.[4]

[edit] Behavior

These nocturnal cats are carnivorous, solitary and aggressive in nature. They forage on the ground and have never been observed in trees. It feeds on small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, birds eggs and some vegetable matter. The species is reportedly difficult to maintain in captivity for extracting civet, a secretion from anal glands of all civets that is used as a stabilizing agent in perfumes, in oriental medicine and flavouring 'beedis' (local cigarettes).

[edit] Threats

The major threat facing isolated populations that have managed to survive in marginal habitats is changing cash crop practices and accidental hunting with dogs. They tend to be treated as raiders of poultry, and are captured and killed when encountered.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mustelid Specialist Group (1996). Viverra civettina. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 5 May 2006. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR C2a v2.3)
  2. ^ Ashraf, N.V.K. et al. (1993) Two endemic viverrids of the Western Ghats, India. Oryx 27:109.
  3. ^ Nowak, R.M. (1999) Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th Ed. The Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore.
  4. ^ a b Massicot Paul (3/5/2005) Animal Info, retrieved 11/3/2007 Malabar Large Spotted Civet
  5. ^ Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (2006) Endangered Species, retrieved 11/3/2007Malabar Large Spotted Civet

[edit] External links

Wikispecies has information related to:
 This article about a carnivore is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Languages