Paguma larvata
masked palm civet

The masked palm civet is the most widespread of all civets. Its range includes northern Pakistan and Kashmir to Indochina and the Malay Peninsula, Laos, Sumatra, Borneo, Taiwan, Hainan, much of eastern and southern China, and the Andaman and Nicobar

Islands (Nowak, 1999; Veenakumari, 1996; Duckworth, 1998). Humans introduced this civet species to the Japanese islands of Honshu and Shikoku in the early- to mid-1900s (Nowak, 1999).

These civets are found in a variety of forests. They live in deciduous, evergreen, and mixed deciduous forests, as well as mountainous regions (Rabinowitz, 1991; Duckworth, 1998). They are also found in tropical rain forests (Nowak, 1999) and are frequently found near human settlements (Parker, 1990).

The body ranges from 50 to 76 cm in length, and the tail is between 50 and 64 cm long. The ears are approximately 4 to 6 cm long. Weight depends on gender and age, but adults vary between 3.6 and 5 kg. Their relatively short pelage is usually gray, with some tinges of orange, buff, and/or yellowish red. They have no stripes, spots, or bands on either the tail or the body. Their feet tend to be blackish and each has five retractable claws. The distal end of the tail tends to be darker than the proximal end. They are named for their 'mask', which consists of a median white stripe from the top of the head to the nose, white marks above each eye extending to the base of each ear, and white marks directly below each eye. These civets also have four identical anal glands which can discharge a potent secretion and the white facial markings have been interpreted as a warning signal (Nowak, 1999). Interestingly, the right lung has several more lobes than the left, resulting in more bronchioles and a subsequent increase in oxygen uptake efficiency (Nakakuki, 1993). Within the skull, the auditory bulla are constricted externally and divided by an internal septum (DeBlase, 1981). The dental formula is 3/3 1/1 3/4 2/2 and females have 2 pairs of mammae.

The masked palm civet has lived up to 20 years in captivity, but probably averages about 10 years in the wild (Nowak, 1999).

Masked palm civets are arboreal, solitary, and nocturnal (Nowak, 1999). They sleep during the day in 'day beds', which are in trees over 80% of the time. These beds are located in the top 10% of the tree (measured by height), and usually near a water source. No nest building activities are exhibited and particular day beds are not reused. The typical range for an individual is between one and two square kilometers, and some territoriality is apparent. During an average night, they are active approximately 50% of the time and can travel up to two kilometers in a single day. Increased activity is shown in warmer weather, with May having the highest activity levels and November the lowest (Rabinowitz, 1991).

These civets are omnivorous and ingest mainly fruits, but they also eat small vertebrates, insects, and birds (Nowak, 1999).

The masked palm civet is preyed upon by a variety of animals, including, but not limited to, tigers, hawks, leopards, jaguars, and humans. Their potent anal glands secrete a volatile mix of civetone (9-cis-cycloheptadecenone) and methyl ketones that discourage predation (Wheeler, 1998). Their facial 'mask' is thought to warn potential predators of these noxious glands (Nowak, 1999). Also, their excellent climbing skills can assist in evading predation (Parker, 1990).

These civets are located at the top of many food chains, and thus play an integral role in predator-prey interactions and ecosystem balance (Heydon, 1996). In regions affected negatively by fire and human-induced disturbances, they assist in maintaining the natural forest communities. They are also very important in seed dispersal through fecal material (Rabinowitz, 1991).

These civets often raid fruit crops when those crops are close enough to the forest (Veenakumari, 1996). They have also been known to take chickens and other poultry (Nowak, 1999; Parker, 1990). Individuals in Japan have shown a high susceptibility to canine distemper virus infections, which would taint prospective meat (Machida, 1992).

Masked palm civets are hunted for their fur and for food, and some local villagers keep them as pets. They are often used as ratters, since they are extremely quick and adept at killing these nuisance rodents (Nowak, 1999).

Masked palm civets are listed in appendix III of CITES. However, their habitat is being annihilated at an alarming rate by logging companies and human encroachment, making it possible that they will become increasingly vulnerable to becoming endangered (Heydon, 1996).