Small-toothed Palm Civet

About this species

Size

Body about 53cm; tail about 58cm

Weight

About 2.4kg

Diet

Insects, small mammals, nesting birds, fruit, frogs and lizards

Habitat

Dense forest

Range

North-east India to mainland Southeast Asia, Borneo, Sumatra and Java

Litter size

2–3 young

Gestation

About 45 days

The small-toothed palm civet, or three-striped palm civet, is blackish grey with black paws and three black stripes along the back that often appear as rows of broken spots. The short fur is generally tawny or buff, with a darker greyish tawny head, and a brown muzzle marked by a white streak from the nose to the forehead. The long tail is tubular and looks light and fluffy. The body is about 53 cm long and the tail about 58 cm, and weight is about 2.4 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is native to dense forests from north-east India to mainland Southeast Asia and the islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java. It is solitary, arboreal and nocturnal, and its diet is varied, usually insects, small mammals, nesting birds, fruit, frogs and lizards. Young animals have lighter coats, which darken with age. Breeding is thought to be aseasonal, with two or three litters a year of two or three young after about 45 days, but very little is known (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)