African palm civet

Nandinia binotata

SUBFAMILY

Nandiniinae

TAXONOMY

Viverra binotata (Gray, 1830), Africa, Ashantee (Ghana).

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: Nandinie d'Afrique; German: Pardel-Roller.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Body length 18–23 in (44–58 cm), tail 19–25 in (46–62 cm), weight 4–11 lb (2–5 kg). The hair is long and very thick, varying in color from yellowish gray-brown to brown. The upper side of the body is darker. The nape of the neck has three dark longitudinal stripes, and there are numerous dark spots on the upper body side. The shoulder has a white blotch. The upper side of the tail is banded. The feet are very short and have naked soles.

DISTRIBUTION

Tropical Africa from Senegal and Angola to southern Sudan and eastern Africa, and south to Zimbabwe.

HABITAT

Tropical forests.

BEHAVIOR

Arboreal and nocturnal. Density of 13 per mi² (5 per km²). Territories marked with scent. African palm civets use their forefeet much more skillfully than other viverrids; they approach the fine movements and dexterity of raccoons (Procyonidae).

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Mostly fruits, but also rodents, birds eggs, insects. Animal prey is recognized chiefly by its movement.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Probably polygynous. Births peak in May and October, gestation is 64 days, litter size usually two, but may reach four.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Occasionally tamed and kept as pets.

African Palm Civet
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Nandiniidae Pocock, 1929 Genus: Nandinia Species: N. binotata
Binomial name
Nandinia binotata Gray, 1830

The African Palm Civet (Nandinia binotata), also known as the Two-spotted Palm Civet, is a small mammal, with short legs, small ears, a body resembling a cat, and a long lithe tail as long as its body. Adults usually weigh 1.70 to 2.10 kg. They are native to the forests of eastern Africa, where they usually inhabit trees. Their diet is omnivorous, and includes rodents, insects, eggs, carrion, fruit, birds and fruit bats. The animals are generally solitary, and are active at night.

Although resembling other civet species (in the family Viverridae) it has been suggested that the African Palm Civets are genetically distinct, and diverge before cats from other civets. However this suggestion is not universally accepted, although they are classified as the only species in genus Nandinia and in their own family, Nandiniidae.

References

• Mustelid Specialist Group (1996). Nandinia binotata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.

Wikispecies has information related to:

Nandinia binotata

Extant carnivore families by suborder
Feliformia	Nandiniidae | Prinonodontidae | Felidae | Viverridae | Hyaenidae | Eupleridae | Herpestidae
Caniformia	Canidae | Ursidae | Ailuridae | Mephitidae | Mustelidae | Procyonidae | Odobenidae | Otariidae | Phocidae

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