Hemigalus derbyanus (Gray, 1837)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5714564 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5714889 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FC03440B-FFFA-FF9B-EA8D-4FFBF7DAFCD6 |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Hemigalus derbyanus |
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Banded Palm Civet
Hemigalus derbyanus View in CoL
French: Civette de Derby / German: Banderroller / Spanish: Hemigalo cebrado
Taxonomy. Paradoxurus derbyanus Gray, 1837 ,
Peninsular Malaysia.
There has been no recent taxonomic revision, but three subspecies are recognized here, including minor and sipora from the Mentawai Islands.
Subspecies and Distribution.
H. d. derbyanus Gray, 1837 — Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Siberut I, and Borneo.
H. d. minor G.S. Miller, 1913 — South Pagai I.
H. d. sipora Chasen & Kloss, 1928 — Sipora I. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 41-56. 5 cm, tail 23-5—-37-5 cm, hindfoot 7-5—-8-2 cm, ear 3.6-5. 5 cm; weight 1-3 kg. A small slender civet. The coat color is grayish to pale rufous brown on the upperparts; the underparts are lighter and lack markings. There are four to eight large black bands across the back, which resemble long triangles (with their bases on the back and the apex towards the abdomen). The muzzle is long and pointed; the ears and eyes are large. The rhinarium is large and deeply grooved both along the front and above (the upper edge appears biconvex). The face has a narrow black stripe on the midline from the nose to the nape, and two broad black stripes that start at the muzzle, encircle each eye, and extend over the base of the ear to the neck. There are whitish patches under and above each eye. Two broad stripes, sometimes broken into shorter stripes or spots, run back from the neck and curve downwards to the elbow. The hairs on the neck are reversed and point forward. The terminal two-thirds of the tail is black; there are two faint black rings at the base. The limbs and feet are the same color as the body; there are a few faint bands on the upper forelimbs. There are five digits on each foot, with claws that are fully retractable (but lack sheaths). The metatarsal pads are well-developed and extend to one third the length of the foot. The metacarpal pads are also well-developed; the internal one is long and narrow and touches the external metacarpal pad, which is a little longer and thicker. The space between the plantar pads and the metacarpal/ metatarsal pads is naked. The perineal scent gland consists of a pair of longitudinal folds that are covered by silky hairs; between them is an oval depression, which deepens at the front. There are three pairs of teats. The skull is long and narrow, with a constricted post-orbital area and a very low crest. The zygomatic arch is relatively flat and the post-orbital processes are short and blunt. The auditory bullae have a posterior chamber that is ovoid and elongated, and which expands anteriorly. Dental formula: 13/3,C1/1,P 4/4, M 2/2 = 40. The first upper and lower premolars have one root and no accessory cusps. The carnassials and molars are multi-cusped.
Habitat. Primary and disturbed rainforest, particularly lowland areas. In western Sumatra, has been camera-trapped in primary lowland forest at 150 m and 800 m. Found up to 1200 m on Borneo.
Food and Feeding. Carnivorous (particularly insects and earthworms). In Thailand, specimen stomachs contained insects, and in Malaysia, the remains of crabs, molluscs, frogs, lizards, and giant rats where found in two stomachs. On Borneo, the frequency of occurrence of prey items found in twelve stomachs was: 656% insects (including Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoteran larvae, and ants), 22% earthworms, 9% other arthropods (spiders, pedipalps, centipedes, millipedes, and crabs), 2% molluscs, and 1% amphibians (toads and frogs). No fruits or other plants were found, except fragments of dead leaves and pieces of rotten wood. Based on its diet, it appears to forage mainly on the forest floor and along stream banks.
Activity patterns. Data from camera-traps and field observations indicate it is nocturnal. In captivity, is active when the enclosure is in the dark. Said to rest in hollow logs or in tree holes.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Appears to be terrestrial: has been captured and camera-trapped on the ground, three specimens were shot along forest streams, and its diet suggests that it forages on the forest floor. However,it is also believed to be partly arboreal: it climbs well in captivity, one live animal was found in a hole in a large tree, and another was trapped 8 m above the ground. Captive animals have been observed scent marking by rubbing the perineal gland onto a solid surface; this was more common in males than females. While in a defensive, agitated, or startled state, a civet may squirt an oily spray from the perineal gland (from a standing position and with a sudden quick lift of the tail).
Breeding. A pregnant female with one foetus was recorded from Borneo in February. In captivity, litter size has been reported as one to two. One newborn female weighted 125 g and measured 25 cm. Newborns are scarcely able to crawl, their eyes are closed, and the ears are folded. The eyes open between eight and twelve days. The young start walking at around 18 days and can climb trees at four weeks. At four months, one young female weighed 1050 g and was 76 cm long. At ten weeks, the young start to eat on their own. At six months, they are adultsized. The adult orange buff coloration on the neck and belly appears when the young civets are sexually mature.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The Mentawai subspecies are listed as Threatened in the 1989 IUCN Action Plan for the Conservation ofMustelids and Viverrids. Habitat loss and degradation are major threats. In South-east Asia, there has been loss and degradation offorests (particularly lowland forests), through logging and conversion to other land-uses. Although the Banded Palm Civet has been recorded in disturbed forests, on Borneo, the overall density of civets (including this species) in a logged forest was found to be significantly lower than in a primary forest. Hunting and trade could also be threats. Field surveys, ecological studies, and assessments of threats are needed.
Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Davis (1962), Dinets (2003), Gangloff (1972, 1975), Goldman (1982), Heydon & Bulloh (1996), Holden (2006), Kowalczyk (1989), Lekagul & McNeely (1991), Lim (1973, 1991), Louwman (1970), Payne et al. (1985), Pocock (1915h, 1933c, 1939), Ratnam et al. (1995), Schreiber et al. (1989), Veron (1999), Veron, Laidlaw et al. (2004), Wozencraft (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.
