Asian palm civet

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Asian palm civet
Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) (7781509830).jpg
Asian palm civet in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Viverridae
Genus: Paradoxurus
Species:
P. hermaphroditus [2]
Binomial name
Paradoxurus hermaphroditus [2]
(Pallas, 1777)
Asian Palm Civet area.png
Asian palm civet range: native in green, introduced in red

The Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), also called common palm civet, toddy cat and musang, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, it is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern as it accommodates to a broad range of habitats. It is widely distributed with large populations that in 2008 were thought unlikely to be declining. [1] In Indonesia, it is threatened by poaching and illegal wildlife trade; buyers use it for the increasing production of kopi luwak (civet coffee). [3]

Contents

Characteristics

Close up of an Asian palm civet Himalay Palm Civet.jpg
Close up of an Asian palm civet
Illustration of skull and dentition, by Gervais in Histoire naturelle des mammiferes Paradoxureskull.png
Illustration of skull and dentition, by Gervais in Histoire naturelle des mammifères

The Asian palm civet's long, stocky body is covered with coarse, shaggy hair that is usually greyish in colour. It has a white mask across the forehead, a small white patch under each eye, a white spot on each side of the nostrils, and a narrow dark line between the eyes. The muzzle, ears, lower legs, and distal half of the tail are black, with three rows of black markings on the body. Its head-to-body length is about 53 cm (21 in) with a 48 cm (19 in) long unringed tail. It weighs 2 to 5 kg (4 to 11 lb). Its anal scent glands emit a nauseating secretion as a chemical defense when threatened or upset. [4]

Distribution and habitat

The Asian palm civet is native to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Bawean, and Siberut. It was introduced to Irian Jaya, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku, and Sulawesi. Its presence in Papua New Guinea is uncertain. [1]

It usually inhabits primary forests, but also occurs at lower densities in secondary and selectively logged forest. [5]

It is also present in parks and suburban gardens with mature fruit trees, fig trees, and undisturbed vegetation. Its sharp claws allow climbing of trees and house gutters. In most parts of Sri Lanka, palm civets are considered a nuisance since they litter in ceilings and attics of common households, and make loud noises fighting and moving about at night.[ citation needed ]

Evolution

Palawan and Borneo specimens are genetically close, so the Asian palm civet on Palawan island might have dispersed from Borneo during the Pleistocene. It is possible that people later introduced Asian palm civet into other Philippines islands. [6] [7]

Behaviour and ecology

Asian palm civet on a tree at Kerala, India Asian Palm Civet Over A Tree.jpg
Asian palm civet on a tree at Kerala, India
Asian palm civet with pups in an urban area at Baranagar, Kolkata, India Asian Palm Civet with pups Baranagar Kolkata West Bengal India.jpg
Asian palm civet with pups in an urban area at Baranagar, Kolkata, India

The Asian palm civet is thought to lead a solitary lifestyle, except for brief periods during mating. It is both terrestrial and arboreal, showing a nocturnal activity pattern with peaks between late evening until after midnight. [5] It is usually active between dawn and 4:00 in the morning, but less active during nights when the moon is brightest. [8]

Scent marking behaviour and olfactory response to various excretions such as urine, feces, and secretion of the perineal gland differs in males and females. Scent marking by dragging the perineal gland and leaving the secretion on the substrate was most commonly observed in animals of both sexes. The duration of the olfactory response varied and depended both on the sex and excretion type. The palm civet can distinguish animal species, sex, familiar and unfamiliar individuals by the odor of the perineal gland secretion. [9]

Feeding and diet

The Asian palm civet is an omnivore feeding foremost on fruits such as berries and pulpy fruits. It thus helps to maintain tropical forest ecosystems via seed dispersal. [5] It eats chiku, mango, rambutan, and coffee, but also small mammals and insects. It plays an important role in the natural regeneration of Pinanga kuhlii and P. zavana palms at Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. [10] It also feeds on palm flower sap, which when fermented becomes palm wine, a sweet liquor ("toddy"). Because of this habit, it is called the toddy cat.[ citation needed ]

Reproduction

Juvenile Asian palm civet Paradox hermaph 060924 ltn.jpg
Juvenile Asian palm civet

Due to its solitary and nocturnal habits, little is known about its reproductive processes and behaviour. [11] In March 2010, a pair of palm civets was observed when attempting to mate. The pair copulated on the tree branch for about five minutes. During that period, the male mounted the female 4–5 times. After each mounting, the pair separated for a few moments and repeated the same procedure. After completion of mating, the pair frolicked around for some time, moving from branch to branch on the tree. The animals separated after about six minutes and moved off to different branches and rested there. [12]

Threats

Hunting

In some parts of its range Asian palm civets are hunted for bushmeat and the pet trade. [13] In southern China it is extensively hunted and trapped. Dead individuals were found with local tribes where it is killed for its meat, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and Agra, Uttar Pradesh, between 1998 and 2003 in India. [1]

The oil extracted from small pieces of the meat, kept in linseed oil in a closed earthen pot and regularly sunned, is used indigenously as a cure for scabies. [14]

Kopi luwak

Asian palm civet housed in a cage for the production of kopi luwak coffee Luwak (civet cat) in cage.jpg
Asian palm civet housed in a cage for the production of kopi luwak coffee

Kopi luwak is coffee prepared using coffee beans that have been subjected to ingestion and fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract of the Asian palm civet, which is called luwak in Indonesia. Caffeine content in both Arabica and Robusta luwak coffee is lower than in unfermented coffee. [15] Large deformation mechanical rheology testing revealed that civet coffee beans are harder and more brittle in nature than their control counterparts indicating that digestive juices enter into the beans and modify the micro-structural properties of these beans. Proteolytic enzymes cause substantial breakdown of storage proteins. [16]

Kopi luwak is traditionally made from the faeces of wild civets. However, due to increased international demand, civets are being increasingly captured from the wild and fed coffee beans to mass-produce this blend. Many of these civets are housed in battery cage systems which have been criticised on animal welfare grounds. [17] [18] The impact of the demand for this fashionable coffee on wild palm civet populations is yet unknown but may constitute a significant threat. In Indonesia, the demand for Asian palm civets appears to be in violation of the quota set for pets. [3]

Conservation

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus is listed on CITES Appendix III. [1] There is a quota in place in Indonesia, precluding trade from certain areas, setting a cap on the number of civets that can be taken from the wild, and allowing only 10% of those removed from the wild to be sold domestically. This quota is largely ignored by hunters and traders and is not enforced by authorities. [19] This species has become popular as a pet in Indonesia in recent years, causing a rise in the numbers found in markets in Java and Bali. The majority of the animals sold as pets originate from the wild. The high numbers of animals seen, lack of adherence to the quota and lack of enforcement of the laws are causes for conservation concern. [13]

Taxonomy

Illustrations of Asian palm civets in Pocock's The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. - Volume 1 Asianpalmcivetheads.png
Illustrations of Asian palm civets in Pocock's The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. – Volume 1
Philippine palm civet ParadoxurusHermaphroditusPhilippinensis01.jpg
Philippine palm civet

Viverra hermaphrodita was the scientific name proposed by Peter Simon Pallas in 1777. [21] It is the nominate subspecies and ranges in Sri Lanka and southern India as far north as the Narbada River. [20] Several zoological specimens were described between 1820 and 1992: [2]

The taxonomic status of these subspecies has not yet been evaluated. [1]

In mythology

In Philippine mythology, the Bagobo people believe a being named Lakivot was said to be a huge and powerful palm civet who can talk. Lakivot defeated various monsters, including the one-eyed monster Ogassi and the busaw beings who guarded the Tree of Gold, which had the Flower of Gold that he sought. He was eventually transformed into a handsome young man, and married the person to whom he gave the Flower of Gold. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viverridae</span> Family of carnivorans

Viverridae is a family of small to medium-sized, feliform mammals. The viverrids comprise 33 species placed in 14 genera. This family was named and first described by John Edward Gray in 1821. Viverrids occur all over Africa, southern Europe, and South and Southeast Asia, across the Wallace Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kopi luwak</span> Indonesian coffee drink

Kopi luwak, also known as civet coffee, is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. The cherries are fermented as they pass through a civet's intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected. Asian palm civets are increasingly caught in the wild and traded for this purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African palm civet</span> Species of carnivore

The African palm civet, also known as the two-spotted palm civet, is a small feliform mammal widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African civet</span> Species of carnivore

The African civet is a large viverrid native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is considered common and widely distributed in woodlands and secondary forests. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008. In some countries, it is threatened by hunting, and wild-caught individuals are kept for producing civetone for the perfume industry.

<i>Paradoxurus</i> Genus of carnivores

Paradoxurus is a genus of three palm civets within the viverrid family that was denominated and first described by Frédéric Cuvier in 1822. The Paradoxurus species have a broad head, a narrow muzzle with a large rhinarium that is deeply sulcate in the middle. Their large ears are rounded at the tip. The tail is nearly as long as the head and body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Indian civet</span> Species of mammal

The small Indian civet is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in agricultural and secondary landscapes of many range states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded palm civet</span> Species of carnivore

The banded palm civet, also called the banded civet, is a viverrid native to Indomalaya. They primarily inhabit lowland conifer habitat, which is under threat from encroaching human activity. It is estimated the population of the banded palm civet has decreased by around 30% in just three generations. Banded palm civets are usually approximately the size of a domestic cat; their fur is pale but with dark bands on the back. They are believed to be closely related to Hose's palm civets, which are similar in appearance and distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small-toothed palm civet</span> Species of carnivore

The small-toothed palm civet, also known as the three-striped palm civet, is a viverrid native to dense forests of Southeast Asia, from the Assam district of India to Indochina and the Malay Peninsula and on Sumatra, Bangka, Java, Borneo, and numerous small nearby islands of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden palm civet</span> Species of carnivore

The golden palm civet is a viverrid endemic to Sri Lanka. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Its distribution is severely fragmented, and the extent and quality of its habitat in Sri Lanka's hill regions are declining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown palm civet</span> Species of carnivore

The brown palm civet, also called the Jerdon's palm civet, is a viverrid endemic to the Western Ghats of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayan civet</span> Species of carnivore

The Malayan civet, also known as the Malay civet and Oriental civet, is a viverrid native to the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra, Bangka, Borneo, the Riau Archipelago, and the Philippines. It is listed as "Least Concern" by IUCN as it is a relatively widely distributed, appears to be tolerant of degraded habitats, and occurs in a number of protected areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civet</span> Mammals of the families Viverridae and Nandiniidae and the genus Fossa

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The Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms are an historical cafe located at the top of the Hervey Range, approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) north-west of Townsville in North Queensland, Australia. The tea rooms are famous for being the only cafe in Queensland to include kopi luwak coffee on their menu, hailed as the most expensive coffee in the world.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in northern Myanmar

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References

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  10. ↑ Thohari, M.; Santosa, Y. (1986). A preliminary study on the role of civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) in the natural regeneration of palms (Pinanga kuhlii and P. zavana) at Gunung Gede-Pangrango National Park, West Java (Indonesia). Symposium on Forest Regeneration in Southeast Asia, 9–11 May 1984. Biotrop Special Publication. pp. 151–153.
  11. ↑ Prater, S. H. (1980). The book of Indian animals (Second ed.). Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
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  14. ↑ Singh, L.A.K. (1982). "Stomach contents of a common palm civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Pallas)". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 79 (2): 403–404.
  15. ↑ Mahendradatta, M.; Tawali, A. B. (2012). Comparison of chemical characteristics and sensory value between luwak coffee and original coffee from Arabica (Coffea arabica L) and Robusta (Coffea canephora L) varieties (PDF). Makassar: Food Science and Technology Study Program, Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  16. ↑ Marcone, M. F. (2004). "Composition and properties of Indonesian palm civet coffee (kopi luwak) and Ethiopian civet coffee". Food Research International. 37 (9): 901–912. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2004.05.008.
  17. ↑ Milman, O. (11 November 2012). "World's most expensive coffee tainted by 'horrific' civet abuse". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 4 June 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  18. ↑ Penha, J. (4 August 2012). "Excreted by imprisoned Civets, Kopi Luwak no longer a personal favorite". The Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  19. ↑ Shepherd, C. R. (2008). Civets in trade in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia (1997–2001) with notes on legal protection Archived January 29, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . Small Carnivore Conservation 38: 34–36.
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  21. ↑ Pallas, P. S. (1778). "Das Zwitterstinkthier". In Schreber, J. C. D. (ed.). Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen. Erlangen: Wolfgang Walther. p. 426.
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  23. ↑ Raffles, S. (1821). "Descriptive Catalogue of a Zoological Collection, made on account of the Honourable East India Company, in the Island of Sumatra and its Vicinity, under the Direction of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Lieutenant-Governor of Tort Marlborough; with additional Notices illustrative of the Natural History of those Countries". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 13: 239–275.
  24. ↑ Horsfield, T. (1824). "Viverra musanga, var. javanica". Zoological researches in Java, and the neighbouring islands. London: Kingsbury, Parbury & Allen. pp. 148–151.
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  26. ↑ Jourdan, C. (1837). "Mémoire sur quelques mammifères nouveaux". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences. 5 (15): 521–524. Archived from the original on 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  27. ↑ Veron, Géraldine; Patou, Marie-Lilith; Tóth, Mária; Goonatilake, Manori; Jennings, Andrew P. (2015). "How many species of Paradoxurus civets are there? New insights from India and Sri Lanka". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 53 (2): 161–174. doi: 10.1111/jzs.12085 .
  28. ↑ Esteban, R. C. (2011). Folktales of Southern Philippines. Manila: Anvil Publishers.
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