| Paradoxurus[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Viverridae |
| Subfamily: | Paradoxurinae |
| Genus: | Paradoxurus Cuvier, 1822 |
| Type species | |
| Viverra hermaphrodita[2] Pallas, 1777 | |
| Species | |
see table | |
 | |
| Paradoxurus ranges | |
Paradoxurus is agenus of three palm civets within theviverridfamily that was denominated and first described byFrédéric Cuvier in 1822.[3]TheParadoxurusspecies have a broad head, a narrow muzzle with a largerhinarium that is deeply sulcate in the middle. Their large ears are rounded at the tip. The tail is nearly as long as the head and body.[4]
The three species are theAsian palm civet, theGolden palm civet, and theBrown palm civet.[1]
Paradoxurus species have a broad head, a narrow muzzle with a large rhinarium that is deeply sulcate in the middle. Their large ears are rounded at the tip, the interior ridges andbursae are well developed. The skull exhibits marked muscular moulding, and the postorbital area is deeply constricted shortly behind the well-developedpostorbital processes. It is considerably narrower than the interorbital area and than the muzzle above thecanines. The dental formula is3.1.4.23.1.4.2. Thepalate is not produced behind to cover the anterior half of the mesopterygoidfossa, and is flat and expanded between the posterior cheek teeth. The tail is nearly as long as the head and body, sometimes quite as long, and about six times as long as the hind foot.[4] Males do not havebacula.[5]
As of 2005, this genus was defined as comprising threespecies native toSoutheast Asia:[1]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian palm civet
| Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Pallas, 1777[6]) | India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka to Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Borneo and Indonesia | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Golden palm civet
| Paradoxurus zeylonensis (Pallas, 1778[7]) | Sri Lanka | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Brown palm civet
| Paradoxurus jerdoni Blanford, 1885[8] | Western Ghats, India | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
In 2009, it was proposed to also include thegolden wet-zone palm civet (P. aureus,Cuvier, 1822), theSri Lankan brown palm civet (P. montanus,Kelaart, 1852) and thegolden dry-zone palm civet (P. stenocephalus,Groves et al., 2009), which areendemic to Sri Lanka.[9] A subsequent study found very lowgenetic diversity and no geographical structure within the golden palm civet and did not support the proposed split.[10] Comparison of morphological data indicate that the Asian palm civet comprises three majorclades that should be recognized as separate species: namely one in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia (asParadoxurus hermaphroditus sensu stricto), one inSumatra,Java and other small islands (Paradoxurus musanga), and the third in thePhilippines and theMentawai Islands (Paradoxurus philippensis).[10] Genetic data, however, do not support species level distinction.[11]
Media related toParadoxurus at Wikimedia Commons
.png) | This article relating tocarnivorans is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |
.jpg)
