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Malaysian Civet
Viverra tangalunga

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Subfamily: Viverrinae
Genus: Viverra
Species: tangalunga

Range and Habitat
 The Malaysian Civet is found throughout the Malay peninsula and on the surrounding islands such as the Philippines, Rhio Archipelago, Borneo, Bangka, and Sumatra. The Malaysian Civet has recently been introduced onto several other southeast Asian islands due to its popularity in the perfume trade. The Civet's preferred habitat includes: forest, brush, and grassland. They spend their time primarily on the ground but can also be found in trees which they use to escape from predators. The Malaysian civet is a shy creature spending the day hiding in the dense cover of its forested home, only venturing into the open at night.

Physical Characteristics
 The Malaysian Civet has short grey or tawny fur with a pattern of black spots arranged in rows all along its body. The tail is banned. The Malaysian Civet is most well known for its distinct stripping along its neck and throat. The usual markings are three black stripes and two white stripes. The civet also has a mane of longer hair that runs down its back. An unusual black stripe runs the length of the mane. The feet of the Malaysian Civet are black. They have five toes on each foot with retractable claws located on the third and fourth digits of their forefeet. The Malaysian Civet measures roughly 585 to 950 mm in length and weights approximately 11 to 24 lbs. They live around 5 to 15 years

Diet
  The Malaysian Civet is primarily a carnivore feasting on small mammals, birds, frogs, snakes and insects. They will also partake of eggs and fruit if they are available. Some have even been seen digging up roots. a tasty snack for this veracious little hunter.

Behavior
 Viverra tangalunga is most commonly nocturnal. They are hunters of the night, catching their prey with stealth and cunning. They will stalk their prey and pounce on it from a hiding place in the underbrush. They are also solitary creatures, coming together only to mate. There is very little aggression shown by these timid creatures; more often than not they will run away rather than fight. When cornered the little civets will use their most powerful weapon. They produce a secretion from their anal glands called civet. Much like a skunk they are able to squirt this secretion, deterring any predator from attacking them. They also use their scent to mark the boundaries of their territory and perhaps to communicate chemically with others of their species.

Reproduction
  Malaysian civets come together only for mating. Males viverrids have a baculum or bone found in the penis. The male leaves the female shortly after mating takes place. She will then dig a burrow in the ground or make a nest from the dense vegetation to give birth in. One to four young are born in a litter. The female will give birth to a litter twice a year. When the young are born they are completely dependent on their mother. Their eyes are closed but they do have some hair to help keep them warm. They will drink their mothers milk for for at least one month, after that the mother will begin to wean the babies teaching them how to hunt on their own.

Economic Importance
  Malaysian civets have a negative and positive impact on economics. A negative aspect of the civets is that if they are living near villages they will kill poultry, which causes discord with the villagers. A positive aspect of the civets is the market for Civet the scent they produce. It is used to make popular perfumes which brings in revenue for the countries in which the civets live. Its has even been used for medicinal purposes recently.

Status

The Malaysian Civet is on the IUCN Red List and is a threatened species. Studies are being conducted to determine the numbers of Malaysian Civets left in the wild.

References
Animal Diversity Web- http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html