STATUS
IUCN : LRIC
CAMP : LRnt
CITES : Appendices III
Schedule : II (Part II)
Activity : Nocturnal
Social Group : Solitary
Population : In thousands. Common throughout Gujarat.
👉Local name : Vij, Vaniyar, Jabadiu, Kasturi,
👉Physical measurements : 👇
Weight : 3 kg
Length : 90 cm (tail length : 40 cm)
Litter size : 3 - 5
Life span : 10 - 15 years
Breeding : No definite season.
👉Description : This civet has greyish brown to sandy brown coat with dark blackish lines and streaks in rows. It has few black bars on its neck and its tail appears ringed with black, red and dark brown or blackish.
👉Food : Omnivorous. This civet feeds on rats, squirrels, small birds, lizards, insects, fruits, roots and rhizomes.
👉Distribution : It occurs all over the state.
👉Habitat : It inhabits forest areas, grasslands, scrub forest, ravines, wastelands etc.
👉Behaviour : This animal is nocturnal and usually solitary. It takes shelter in holes, under rocks, bushes etc. It can climb up the trees. It is fond of 'bers' (i.e.., berries of Zyziphus plant). As a last ditch defense, it uses discharge (i.e., secretion with peculiar smell) from its stink gland.
👉Signs of presence : Pugmarks, scat etc.
👉This civet can easily climb up straight boles of trees. Even though it is a good climber, it finds its food on the ground. The civets living in the vicinity of human settlements pose threat to the poultry. This species can be easily tamed. Civets are the nearest relatives of the cats. However, unlike cats it is not wholly a hunter. Only one species of the civet, namely, Spotted linsang does not have stink glands. The secretion from civets' stink gland is used by man for perfumery and medicines. Due to this, the small Indian civet is hunted and sometimes kept in captivity for milking. There are about six species of civets in India (i.e., Spotted lisang or Tiger-civet, Large Indian civet, Small Indian civet, Common palm civet/Toddy cat, Himalayan palm civet, binturong/bear-cat.
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