Viverra megaspila, Blyth, 1862

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Viverridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 174-232 : 178

4.

Large-spotted Civet

Viverra megaspila

French: Civette a grandes taches / German: Grolifleck-Zibetkatze / Spanish: Civeta moteada

Taxonomy. Viverra megaspila Blyth, 1862 ,

Prome, Myanmar.

The Malabar Civet ( V. ciwettina ) was previously included in V. megaspila , but they are now believed to be separate species. Monotypic.

Distribution. S China and Mainland SE Asia to Peninsular Malaysia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 72-85 cm, tail 30-36. 9 cm, hindfoot 13-13. 8 cm, ear 4.5-4. 8 cm; weight 8-9 kg. A large civet with conspicuous black and white bands on the throat and sides of the neck. The coat varies from gray to buff, with large black spots on the flanks, thighs, and hindlegs. A black crest of erectile hairs runs along the back and continues as a dorsal black line to the tip of the tail; the length of the crest hairs varies from 50 to 100 mm (mean 60 mm). The basal half of the tail has four or five incomplete dark rings; the terminal end is more or less completely dark. The head is more massive, and the muzzle is longer and more swollen, than in the Large Indian Civet. The feet are brown; there are small rounded metacarpal pads and no metatarsal pads. There are two pairs of teats. The skull resembles that of the Large Indian Civet, but has larger auditory bullae, a more inflated post-orbital constriction, and smaller post-orbital processes located behind the midpoint of the total length of the skull. The long axis of the sub-orbital foramina is horizontal. The dentition is similar to that of the Large Indian Civet, but with a longer maxillary toothrow and smaller canines and incisors. Dental formula: I 3/3, C 1/1,P 4/4, M 2/2 = 40. Differs from the Malabar Civet by having smaller cheek teeth.

Habitat. Primary evergreen and deciduous forest, and disturbed forest. Found up to 520 m, but most records are from below 300 m.

Food and Feeding. Nothing known.

Activity patterns. Camera-trapping data and sightings indicate that it is nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Terrestrial and solitary.

Breeding. Nothing known.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Listed as Threatened in the 1989 IUCN Action Plan for the Conservation of Mustelids and Viverrids. Known only from a few records and almost nothing is known aboutits habits. Habitat loss poses a major threat. Throughout South-east Asia, large areas of lowland forest have been cleared or degraded, through logging and conversion to other land uses. This species is also vulnerable to hunting, particularly with snares. This occurs in much of its range, with snare trapping found even in some protected areas. Field surveys and ecological studies are needed to determineits distribution and to learn more aboutits natural history and conservation requirements. Lowland forests need to be protected, hunting pressures reduced, and the threats to this species monitored.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Duckworth (1994, 1997), Khounboline (2005), Lekagul & McNeely (1991), Lynam et al. (2005), Pocock (1933a), Schreiber et al. (1989), Wozencraft (2005).

Figures

1. Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica), 2. African Civet (Civettictis civetta), 3. Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina), 4. Large-spotted Civet (Viverra megaspila), 5. Malay Civet (Viverra tangalunga), 6. Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha)

Distribution. S China and Mainland SE Asia to Peninsular Malaysia .