| Sulawesi Palm Civet[1] | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Viverridae |
| Subfamily: | Paradoxurinae |
| Genus: | Macrogalidia Schwartz, 1910 |
| Species: | M. musschenbroekii |
| Binomial name | |
| Macrogalidia musschenbroekii (Schlegel, 1877) |
|
| Sulawesi Palm Civet range | |
The Sulawesi Palm Civet (Macrogalidia musschenbroekii), also known as the Sulawesi Giant Civet, the Giant Civet and the Celebes Palm Civet, is a large and little known[3] species of carnivore endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where it is found particularly in the North and Central regions. It is the largest predatory mammal in Sulawesi's forests.[3]
The Sulawesi Palm Civet is a fairly large palm civet at 5 kg (11 lb) and 69 cm (27 in) in body length, plus a tail of 49 cm (19 in). It is tan or tawny with lighter underside and some light spots. Its p feet are very large and can be used to grasp which is helpful in climbing as the animal often climbs trees to prey upon the Sulawesi Hornbill and other smaller animals - however, despite it's carnivorous ancestry, this species is an omnivore and its predominant diet is fruit.[3]
This animal, and all civets and palm civets, are sometimes called civet cats or genet cats, but, although they are in the same half of the Carnivora order as cats, they are not members of the cat family Felidae. It is the only member of the genus Macrogalidia.