Chrotogle owstoni
Classification Range Physical Characteristics Behavior Diet Reproduction Status Links
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Subfamily: Hemigalinae
Genus: Chrotogle
Species: owstoni
The Owston's palm civet is found in northern Vietnam, northern Laos, and China in the southern Yunan and southwest Guangxi provinces.
The Owston's Palm Civet has an elongated body with long snout and tail. They are between 50 and 64 centimeters in length. The coat is a tan color with black spots and stripes. The head is small with a tapering snout containing small teeth. The incisors are close, broad, and arranged in a semicircle. This is a unique, distinguishable characteristic from the rest of the viverrids and even other carnivores
Their behavior in the wild is relatively unknown, but they live in forest and wooded lowland river basins. They are largely terrestrial but there have been reports of these civets climbing trees to find food. The civet has been reported near houses in villages within its range feeding off of household waste. They are nocturnal foragers, feeding at night. This species constructs in home in dens made from tree trunks or in the brush: they may use natural dens as well. C. owstoni marks its territory with secretions from its anal area. This foul-smelling secretion may be used as a predator defense.
The Owston's Palm Civet eats mainly earthworms in wild. They most likely eat small invertebrates and maybe some fruit as well. In captivity they have been known to eat beef , chicken, and bananas.
They are nocturnal hunters, searching for their food at night. They use their snout as a digging tool the move dirt and debris around and stir up worms. They also use their claws to dig around and find food. They search for food both on the ground and up in the trees.
All information on the reproduction of Owston's palm civet is based on information from captive species. With these few individuals they have found mating usually occurs in January and March. This is followed by a sixty day gestation period. The female usually has between one and three young per litter and occasionally has two litters a year. No other information is avalible on this species reproduction like courtship, pair bonding, ect.
The Owston's palm civet is listed on ICUN Red list as a vulnerable species. It is also listed on CITES as an Appendix II animal. The status in the wild is unknown because sufficient information on the species is unknown. They are in such a restricted range that most likely habitat destruction and over-hunting are two probable impacts on the populations. It is found in many conservation areas includung the Dawei Mountain National Reserve, Jinping Divide National Reserve, Huanlian Mountain National Reserve, and the Cuc Phuong National Park. A study of of this civet has been established in Cuc Phuong National park by the Flora and Fauna Institute.
Animal Diversity Website: Chrotogle owstoni
Lioncrusher's Domain: Owston's Palm Civet
Conservation Newsletter of the
Zoological Parks & Gardens Board: Owston's Palm Civet Conservation Program
For More Information, contact the Small Carnivore Tag Education Liaison
Page created by Celia Lynn, Fall 2004
Pensacola Junior College Zoo Tech Student
