MASKED PALM CIVET

CLASSIFICATION:

Mammalia (Mammals)

FAMILY:

Viverridae

HABITAT:

Terrestrial / Forest / Shrubland

DIET:

Fruits / Insects / Small Mammals / Reptiles / Palm Sap

LIFESPAN:

Wild: 16-to-20 years

Captivity: Up to 24 years

GESTATION:

60 Days

NUMBER OF YOUNG:

2-to-5

ADULT SIZE:

Length (Head-Body): 20-to-30 inches

Tail: 19.69-to-25.2 inches

Weight: 3.6-to-6 kg

COMMUNICATION:

• Tactile (Touch)

• Scent (Glands, Urine, Faeces)

IUCN RED LIST STATUS:

Least Concern

POPULATION TREND:

Decreasing

THREAT TO SURVIVAL:

Habitat Loss, Over-Harvest, Agriculture, Hunting (Meat & Fur)

OTHER NAMES & TRANSLATIONS:

• Sumatran White-Masked Palm Civet

• White Bearded Palm Civet

• Himalayan Palm Civet

• Musang Bulan (Indonesian)

• Moon Weasel (Indonesian, Musang Bulan)

• Masked / Bewitched Fox (Latin, Larvatus; Malay, Musang / Paguma)

• Veiled (Italian, Larvata / Larvato)

• Weasel (French-Greek fusion, Civettictis)

• Civet Cat (Arabic, sinnawr al-zabād)

• Ferret-like (Latin, viverra / Viverridae)

Sumatran Masked Palm Civets are among the larger civets of the South Sumatran hill forests. They are dark brown-to-black in colour, with greyish-buff underparts, dark legs and feet, a variable white and/or black “mask”, with white whiskers, and a light-tipped tail.

Living a solitary and secretive life, very little is known about Sumatran Masked Palm Civets. What we do know is that they are nocturnal, sleeping in the trees throughout the day, and then becoming active at night, exploring their environment and hunting for food. Unlike the Common Palm Civet, the Sumatran Masked Palm Civet tends to avoid places where people live.

A formidable predator yet also opportunistic, Sumatran Masked Palm Civets are omnivores, so aren’t picky about what they eat; they regularly consume insects, small mammals, reptiles, palm sap, and fruit; and play an important role in the ecosystem, dispersing seeds via faeces.

CAPTURE HIGHLIGHT