Common Palm Civet
Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
Common Names:
Musang and Toddy Cat
Range:
They are found in the Himalayas and southern China, Philippines, the Malay peninsula and the Indonesian Islands. They are very adaptable and can live in dense forests, agricultural areas and beside humans.
Description:
The Common Palm Civet is a nocturnal forest dweller. It has a long and slender body with short legs, and a coarse grayish to brown coat with black-tipped hairs all over its body. It has three rows of black spots along the side of its body and the hair around its eyes, cheeks and muzzle is black, with spots of white under each eye and on each side of its nose. The ears, feet and last part of its tail are also black. The Common Palm Civet weighs from 4 to 11 pounds with a body length of 17 to 28 inches and with a tail length of 16 to 26 inches. The ears of the Common Palm Civet are small and pointed and so is the nose. Both sexes have well-developed anal scent glands that look like testes; this is how they got their species name.
Diet:
The Common Palm Civet is frugivorous and omnivorous meaning it eats fruits, vegetables and meats. It eats mostly berries, fleshy fruits and the fruit of Ficus trees. The civet is picky about its fruit it will only eat the ripe fruit and save the unripe fruit for later. It also eats reptiles, insects, rodents, sap from palms, and the fruit from coffee trees. The seeds from the coffee fruit pass through their digestive system and humans collect them to sell in an coffee called kopi luwak.
Breeding: Palm civets reproduce throughout the year, although kittens are more often seen from October to December. The kittens are born in a litter of 2 to 5 young. Palm civets become sexually mature at 11 to 12 months. In captivity, the common palm civet can live up to 22 years.
Behavior/Social Organization: Common palm civets are solitary and live in trees. They stake out territories which often overlap with others during times when food is abundant. When spending time in one area they will usually sleep in the same tree together. Palm civets are nocturnal foragers. They are only active after dark and retreat to resting sites just before dawn. They chose the tallest and largest trees in an area to rest in. Social organization and activity patterns are shaped by food distribution and predator activity. The common palm civet is found in the roofs of human habitation because of the presence of rats, which they eat.
Conservation Status: The Common palm civet is plentiful in its natural range and is not endangered. However, it is pursued by humans as a pest species, because they damage orchards and plantations. The species is listed under CITES Appendix III.
Links for more information:
For more information contact the Small Carnivore Tag Education Liaison
Created by Amy York, Pensacola Junior College ZooTech Student, Fall 2002.
