Viverridae Gray 1821

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Carnivora, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 532-628 : 548

Viverridae Gray 1821

Viverridae Gray 1821 , London Med. Repos., 1821: 301.

Genera: 15 genera with 35 species in 4 subfamilies:

Subfamily Paradoxurinae Gray 1864

Genus Arctictis Temminck 1824 (1 species with 6 subspecies)

Genus Arctogalidia Merriam 1897 (1 species with 14 subspecies)

Genus Macrogalidia Schwarz 1910 (1 species)

Genus Paguma Gray 1831 (1 species with 16 subspecies)

Genus Paradoxurus F. Cuvier 1821 (3 species with 32 subspecies)

Subfamily Hemigalinae Gray 1864

Genus Chrotogale Thomas 1912 (1 species)

Genus Cynogale Gray 1836 (1 species with 2 subspecies)

Genus Diplogale Thomas 1912 (1 species)

Genus Hemigalus Jourdan 1837 (1 species with 4 subspecies)

Subfamily Prionodontinae Pocock 1933

Genus Prionodon Horsfield 1822 (2 species with 5 subspecies)

Subfamily Viverrinae Gray 1821

Genus Civettictis Pocock 1915 (1 species with 6 subspecies)

Genus Genetta G. Cuvier 1816 (14 species with 12 subspecies)

Genus Poiana Gray 1864 (2 species with 2 subspecies)

Genus Viverra Linnaeus 1758 (4 species with 7 subspecies)

Genus Viverricula Hodgson 1838 (1 species with 12 subspecies)

Discussion: Does not include (1) Herpestinae Bonaparte, 1845 or Galidiinae Gray , 1865 ( Flynn et al., 1988; Gregory and Hellman, 1939; Hunt, 1987; Pocock, 1916 c, 1919; Radinsky, 1975; Thenius, 1972; Wozencraft, 1989 a, b; Wurster and Benirschke, 1968); (2) Nandinia ( Flynn and Nedbal, 1998; Hunt, 2001; Veron and Heard, 2000; Yoder et al., 2003); and (3) Cryptoprocta , Eupleres , and Fossa ( Veron, 1995; Veron and Catzeflis, 1993; Veron and Heard, 2000; Yoder et al., 2003). The viverrids are one of the most problematic families of carnivores. Hunt (2001) placed the members of this family into six subfamilies: Prionodontinae (incl. Prionodon , Poiana , and Genetta ); Viverrinae (incl. Viverra , Viverricula , Osbornictis , and Civettictis ); Euplerinae (incl. Fossa and Eupleres ); Cryptoproctinae ( Cryptoprocta ); Hemigalinae (incl. Hemigalus , Diplogale , Chrotogale , and Cynogale ); and Paradoxurinae (incl. Paradoxurus , Paguma , Arctictis , Arctogalidia , and Macrogalidia ). Hunt’s (2001) study gave a morphological basis for the separation of the Prionodontinae from the Viverrinae . However, Veron and Heard (2000) raised serious doubts about the monophyly of these subfamilies. They find that neither Hunt’s Prionodontinae , nor the more traditional system of Prionodontinae + Viverrinae would represent monophyletic groups. Gaubert et al. (2004) excluded Prionodon from other Viverrinae based on cytochrome b sequences (followed here). The position of the Malagasy carnivores was not addressed by Hunt’s (2001) study. However, Veron and Catzeflis (1993), Veron (1995), Veron and Heard (2000), and Yoder et al. (2003) have consistently shown that these taxa do not belong within the Viverridae and probably represent a single monophyletic origin for the Malagasy Carnivora .