Brown Palm Civet

About this species

Size

Head and body 43–62cm; tail 38–53cm

Weight

Males 3.6–4.3kg

Diet

Almost entirely fruit; the account lists more than 53 native plant species

Habitat

Rainforest at about 500–1,300m

Range

Western Ghats, from Castle Rock in Goa to Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

The brown palm civet, or Jerdon's palm civet, is endemic to the Western Ghats of India, where its range runs from Castle Rock in Goa south to Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. The coat is a uniform brown, darker around the head, neck, shoulders, legs and tail, and the dark tail sometimes has a white or pale yellow tip. It is about as large as the common palm civet but has a long, sleek tail. Males weigh 3.6–4.3 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).

It lives in rainforest at about 500–1,300 m, is solitary and nocturnal, and rests by day in tree hollows, vine tangles, Indian giant squirrel nests and branch forks. Fruit makes up about 97% of its diet, from more than 53 native and four introduced plant species, mostly small fruits of trees and lianas. Its diet changes from year to year with fruit availability, and it is a key seed disperser in the Western Ghats rainforest (Wikipedia, general species account).

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