Aquatic genet

Osbornictis piscivora

SUBFAMILY

Viverrinae

TAXONOMY

Osbornictis piscivora J. A. Allen, 1919, Zaire.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Congo water civet, fishing genet; French: Genette aquatique; German: Wasser-Schleichkatze.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Body length 18–20 in (44–50 cm), tail 13–16 in (34–41 cm), weight 3 lb (1.5 kg).

DISTRIBUTION

Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire).

HABITAT

Heavily forested areas in proximity to water.

BEHAVIOR

Solitary.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Mainly fish, possibly amphibians and crustaceans.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Nothing is known.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Listed by the IUCN as Data Deficient.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Meat may be consumed by local people.