Dunia Ya Uzuri

Nope, this is not a weird looking or rabid raccoon. This is an African Civet (Civettictis civetta) and they’re found coast to coast across sub-Saharan Africa. Like raccoons, they’re nocturnal and spend the day sleeping. The unique markings on this animal makes it cryptic, or difficult to observe. From what we have observed though, we know that the civet is an omnivorous generalist, taking small vertebrae, invertebrates, snakes, eggs, carrion, and other vegetable matter. They can even eat poisonous invertebrates, such as the millipede. They hunt their prey by scent and sound rather than sight.

I’m sure once you heard scent and civet, at least a few of you put together that there was a such thing as civet perfume. They used to take the civetone (a liquid used to claim territory) produced from the perineal glands of this animal and turn it into a erm..’nice’ musky fragrance. You had just better hope there isn’t a civet nearby waiting to pick a fight. 

African Civets normally live from 15-20 years. They mate during the warm and wet summers, from August to January. This time is best since there are so many insects for the offspring to feed on. Females are smart, often building a nest in a hole dug by a previous inhabiting animal. Females are also polyestrous, which allows them to have up to 3 litters per year. That’s one to four young a litter, by the way! The young are capable of leaving the nest at eighteen days old, but depend on their mothers for milk and protection for an additional two months!

Photo Credit: Mauritz Preller