Cynogale bennettii
SUBFAMILY
Hemigalinae
TAXONOMY
Cynogale bennettii Gray, 1837, Sumatra.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Water civet; French: Civette-loutre de Sumatra; German: Mampalon; Spanish: Cibeta nutria.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Body length 23–27 in (57–68 cm), tail 5–8 in (13–21 cm), weight 6.5–11 lb (3–5 kg). The body is heavy and compact. The black legs are short and have naked soles and greatly curved claws. All feet are webbed, but the hind legs have less webbing than the forefeet. The broad, flat nose is well supplied with vibrissae. The nasal openings are on top of the nose, and the ears are rounded. The hair is yellowish gray-brown with a black-brown throat and lower lip. The chin and a spot over the eyes are yellowish white.
DISTRIBUTION
North Vietnam, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.
HABITAT
Streams and swampy areas.
BEHAVIOR
Solitary, good climber, but not strong swimmer. Longevity may reach five years.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Crustacens, mollusks, fish, birds, small mammals, and fruits.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Litter size is two to three. Mating system is not known.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
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