African Civet
~~> The African Civet is a solitary animal that only comes out under the cover of night to hunt and catch food. Despite being generally very solitary creatures, the African Civet has been known to gather in groups of up to 14 members particularly during the mating season. African Civets tend to be most active just after sunset but tend to hunt in areas that still provide plenty of cover.
~~> The African Civet is a large species of Civet found across sub-Saharan Africa. Despite their cat-like appearance and behaviours the African Civets are not felines at all but are in fact more closely related to other small carnivores including Weasels and Mongooses. One of the African Civet's most distinctive features are the black and white markings on their fur and grey face which along with the black band around their eyes gives these animals a Raccoon-like appearance.
~~> African Civets are most commonly found in tropical forests and jungles and areas where there is plenty of dense vegetation to provide both cover and animals that the African Civets feeds on. The African Civet is found in a variety of habitats on the African continent, with it's range extending from coast to coast in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this though, it is not uncommon for African Civets to be found along rivers that lead into the more arid regions.~~> The female African Civet usually gives birth to up to 4 young after a gestation period that lasts for a couple of months. The only time when African Civets seem to be seen together is when they are mating.
~~> Despite the fact that the African Civet is a carnivorous mammal, it has a very varied diet that consists of both animal and plant matter. African Civets can live for up to 19 years although many rarely get to be this old. The female African Civet nests in an underground burrow that has been dug by another animal in order to safely raise her young.African Civets can live for up to 20 years although many rarely get to be this old. Small animals such as Rodents, Lizards, Snakes and Frogs make up the majority of the African Civet's diet along with Insects berries and fallen fruits that it finds on the forest floor.
~~> Large predatory Cats are the most common predators of the African Civet including Lions and Leopards along with reptiles such as large Snakes and Crocodiles.
One of the biggest threats to the African Civet is the want for their musk African Civet populations are also under threat from both habitat loss and deforestation and have been subject to trophy. The musk secreted by the glands close to the African Civet's reproductive organs has been collected by Humans for hundreds of years. In it's concentrated form the smell is said to be quite offensive to people but much more pleasant once diluted. It was this scent that became one of the ingredients in some of the most expensive perfumes in the world.
The African Civet is listed as being
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African Civet image
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