Paradoxurus zeylonensis (Pallas, 1777)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5714564 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5714883 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FC03440B-FFF5-FF95-EADB-46F2F800F42C |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Paradoxurus zeylonensis |
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Golden Palm Civet
Paradoxurus zeylonensis View in CoL
French: Civette de Ceylan / German: Goldmusang / Spanish: Musang dorado
Taxonomy. Viverra zeylonensis Pallas, 1777 ,
Sri Lanka.
Monotypic.
Distribution. Sri Lanka. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 50.2-58 cm, tail 43.7-52. 5 cm; weight 3-6 kg. A small civet with a tail as long as the body.
The pelage is golden brown, rusty red or beige; there are sometimes three indistinct brown dorsal stripes. The face may be paler, and the tail more yellowish, than rest of the body. The tip ofthe tail is often white or yellow. The hairs on the neck are directed forward, as in the Brown Palm Civet. The feet and perineal glands are believed to be identical to those of the Common Palm Civet. Dental formula: I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/2 = 40. The upper third molar is narrow and has no lingual lobe. The upper carnassial does not have a distinct parastyle and the posterolingual cingulum is absent.
Habitat. [Lowland to montane forest and dense monsoon forest.
Food and Feeding. Believed to be omnivorous, feeding on fruits and possibly small vertebrates and insects.
Activity patterns. Appears to be nocturnal, based on field sightings and camera-trapping data. Said to spend the day in large hollow tree branches.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Believed to be solitary. Arboreal, but has been trapped and camera-trapped on the ground.
Breeding. Litter size is reported to be two or three. Births may occur in October and November.
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. A poorly known species, vulnerable due to its very restricted range. It has been recorded in Uda Walawe National Park, the Sinharaja Forest area, Wasgomuwa and Yala National Parks. Deforestation is a threat: lowland forests have almost totally disappeared from Sri Lanka. It is also hunted for its meat. Field surveys within National Parks and other established reserves are needed to obtain population estimates. A greater protection status for other forested areas is also needed (particularly lowland forests). Research into the species’ ecological and conservation requirements are a high priority. In 2005, the National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka initiated a breeding and conservation programme.
Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Hoffman (1990), IUCN (2008), Jayasekara et al. (2003), Pocock (1939), Schreiber et al. (1989), Wozencraft (1984, 2005).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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Paradoxurus zeylonensis
| Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier 2009 |
Viverra zeylonensis
| Pallas 1777 |