African Palm Civet

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African Palm Civet[1]
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Nandiniidae
Pocock, 1929
Genus: Nandinia
Gray, 1843
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. It is native to the forests of eastern Africa, where it usually inhabits trees. Its diet is omnivorous, and includes rodents, insects, eggs, carrion, fruit, birds and fruit bats. The animal is generally solitary and nocturnal.

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

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, {{{pages}}}. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 
  2. ^ Mustelid Specialist Group (1996). Nandinia binotata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
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