The African civet whose generic name “Civettictis” is derived from the French word civette and also the Greek word ictis (Weasel). it’s the sole remaining member in its genetic family and an outsized species of Civet which is found across the sub-Saharan geographical area. The African civet cat which isn’t a member of the cat family (Felidae) may be a nocturnal medium-sized solitary mammal with wiry and coarse fur that varies from creamy yellow to white to buff, the black bands surrounding its eyes make it raccoon look-alike. They are solitary mammals due to the power to use their perineal gland secretion to mark their territories around their civetries. Once they feel threatened, it raises its dorsal crest like a cat as a predatory defense. They have a size of 17 to 28 inches in length and weigh 3 to 10 pounds. It is traditionally known in Nigeria as Ẹtà in Yoruba, Zibad in Tigrinya, Edi in Igbo, and Kankane in Akan.
African Civet diet
An African civet is omnivorous with forty teeth – ten in each quadrant of its mouth, such an omnivorous diet includes rodents, frogs, fruits, and other vegetation. However, small mammals like poultry, young lambs, etc are also consumed. They most times eat poisonous items that are harmful to most mammals and also prey to Lion, Hyena, and Leopa
DUCTION
The average lifespan of a captive African civets is 15 to 20 years and therefore the captive females are polyestrous and may mate between 30 to 70 seconds. The feminine African civets normally give birth to one to four young which are covered in dark, short fur and may crawl at birth. The nest for the young civets is built by the females which are underground burrows that have been deserted by other animals. The baby civet is kept within the burrow to ensure complete safety. They begin consuming solid food after they are weaned for the first time at age 14 to 16 weeks and become strong enough to defend themselves. They also eat poisonous substances.
Fun facts about AFRICAN CIVETS
African civets are sometimes lumped in with cats. However, even though they are in the same suborder as felines, they branch out into the viverrids family, which includes mongooses and weasels but not cats.
Besides using their crest to communicate, they also use a variety of vocalizations ranging from growls to laughing noises, as well as secreted odor markings.
They are active at night.
They usually live in woodlands, swamps, secondary forests, and more; essentially, any area with enough food, water, and shelter.
The animals are good swimmers. If there is a suitable area of water in their habitat, they will catch and eat crabs and fish.
Civets often deposit their dung in specific areas known as civetrines. These are located in clearings or beside trails. The dung isn’t buried and is scent-marked by secretions from glands around the anus.
Males and females without cubs curl up on the ground in thick vegetation during the day to sleep. In captivity, the civets are often active during the day.
The animals in civet farms (generally males) are typically kept in small cages smaller than their bodies. This enables their perineal glands to be easily reached and musk to be removed by scraping a gland, which is almost certainly a painful process. The inhumane treatment of the animals is of great concern to some people.
References:
https://owlcation.com/stem/Interesting-African-Civet-Facts-That-You-May-Not-Know
