The Disappearing Civet Mongoose

The Civet is part of the Mongoose family and has a cat-like appearance and the face of a weasel. However, the muzzle is often pointed like an otter or mongoose. They have a long furred tail and small ears. The body is about 1 ½ to 2 ½ feet.

The Civet can be found in a variety of environments. These include woodlands, rain forest, savanna, brush, mountains and on the ground near riverbanks. These solitary creatures prefer to live in the hollows of trees. Believe it or not, many species of these 3-10 pound nocturnal creatures will not climb a tree or dig efficiently. Civets are not quiet and let others know they are around being quite vocal.

Civets are found in Africa, Asia and southern Europe. Unfortunately, they are becoming endangered for several reasons. Their predators are man and the Spotted Hyena. Like many animals loss of habitat is one of the reasons. In the Civet's case, they are also prized for their meat. To make matters worst, Civet oil is popular in East African and Asian countries. Their oil has been used in the perfume industry for many centuries. The Malabar Large Spotted Civet is one of the world's rarest mammals.

They are not picky eaters and will eat quite a few things. This includes fruits, vines, and even birds, insects, reptiles and small animals. They will feed on anything up to the size of a small antelope.

Males may live in an area of 250 acres with up to 3 females. Males will mark the trees and vines inside their territory to let the other males know. During mating season in June, the males are extremely aggressive with each other. They may fight to the death for their territory.

The female matures quickly normally at an age of 1. She will have a litter of 1-6, but generally it is three or less. On occasion, the female Civet will have two litters per year. The gestation period for the Civet is 70-90 days depending upon species. The young are born early in the rainy season which actually helps them survive.

It has been speculated that the wild population of Civets was behind the SARS epidemic. One last thing is that many people have Civets as pets in their native countries to control the rodent population.