Palm Civet

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus

The Palm Civet is native to South and Southeast Asia. It has a broad range of habitats with large populations widely spread out. The Palm Civet can be physically described as having a long, stocky body covered with coarse, shaggy hair. Their fur is usually greyish in color, it has a white mask across the forehead and a small white patch under each eye. The muzzle, ears, lower legs, and tail are black. It’s body is about 21 inches long, not including its 19 inch tail. Palm Civets weigh between 5 to 10 pounds.

Palm Civets are thought to lead a solitary lifestyle, except for brief periods during mating season. They are both terrestrial and arboreal, meaning they can be found scavenging on the ground or in the trees! They are nocturnal animals, coming out in the evenings to forage for food. Palm Civets are omnivores, they eat chiku, mango, rambutan, small mammals, and insects. When threatened this animal will use anal scent glands to emit a nauseating secretion as a chemical defense. Scent marking behavior has been observed in both males and females marking their territories.

While these animals are not endangered, it doesn’t mean they aren’t threatened by predators. Hunting by humans and habitat loss threaten these animals. They have been hunted for bushmeat, pet trade, and a special oil extracted from parts of the meat used for medicine. Kopi Luwak is a coffee prepared using coffee beans that have been fermented in the gastrointestinal tract of the Palm Civet. Palm Civets are increasingly being captured from the wild and fed coffee beans to mass-produce this coffee. There have been conservation efforts put in place to limit the amount of Civets entered into the pet trade.