The Asian Palm Civet is closely related to mongeese and weasels and inhabits much of southern Asia. They are small mammals with coarse, shaggy hair and black markings on their feet, ears, and muzzle.
Asian palm civets are believed to be one of the most common of the civet species, but the demand for civet coffee is increasing, and this may pose a threat to wild civet populations.
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Asian Palm Civet Facts for Kids
- Asian Palm Civets can live for 15 to 20 years.
- Asian palm civets are small mammals
- They are omnivores
- They live in temperate and tropical forests
- They are native to South and Southeast Asia
Civet Scientific name
They are scientifically called Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus.
Appearance
They are small cat-sized mammals that live in South and Southeast Asia.
Civets are viverrids unrelated to felines, with long bodies, tan, gray, white, yellow, or black coats, and facial banding similar to a raccoon. They have a white mask across their forehead
They can reach a weight of 1.4 to 2.5kg (3 to 10 lbs). It has large eyes and a leaner build than most other civet species, which helps it scale trees and escape from predators
Behavior
Civets use their tail glands to leave scents on the ground to identify other civets.
These animals can live in both terrestrial and arboreal environments but prefer to live in forests with denser tree cover.
Habitat
Civets are adapted to the warm climate of southern India, Sri Lanka, southern China, and other areas of Southeast Asia.
Deforestation and interaction with humans will likely become more common as territory loss continues.
Asian palm civets are arboreal and active at night and are expert climbers but less agile than other civets because their tail is non-prehensile. They use their scent gland as their main way of communication.
Diet
Asian Palm Civets eat a variety of insects, small rodents, and fruit, including palm flower sap, which is fermented to make a sweet type of liquor called a toddy.
They help maintain tropical forest ecosystems by dispersing seeds. It also eats small mammals and insects and palm flower sap, which is fermented into palm wine.
Predators and threats
They are threatened by the bushmeat and pet trade.
Civets are at risk from humans because of habitat loss and capture for use in the pet trade. They are hunted for bushmeat and sold into the pet trade in southern China and India.
Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan
They are solitary animals except when mating. They have two to four pups per litter and are ready to be independent at three to four months old.
They breed throughout the year, give birth to 2-5 pups, and are weaned at 2 months of age. They reach reproductive maturity at 1 year old.
Population
They’re not overtly aggressive towards humans, but they do have sharp claws and sharp fangs that could cause injury if cornered.
In southern China, Asian palm civets are hunted for bush meat and the pet trade and are also captured and fed coffee beans to mass-produce the world’s most expensive coffee, the Kopi Luwak.
