| Large-spotted civet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Drawing dated 1884 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Viverridae |
| Genus: | Viverra |
| Species: | V. megaspila |
| Binomial name | |
| Viverra megaspila Blyth, 1862 | |
 | |
| Large-spotted civet range | |
Thelarge-spotted civet (Viverra megaspila) is aviverrid native toSoutheast Asia that is listed asEndangered on theIUCN Red List.[1]
Pocock described the large-spotted civet as varying in colour from silvery-grey to golden-buff or tawny with a black to brown pattern and large or comparatively small spots, which are separated or sometimes fusing into blotches or into vertical stripes behind the shoulders. White bands on the tail are mostly restricted to the sides and lower surface but very seldom form complete rings. Adults measure 30–30.5 in (76–77 cm) in head and body with a 13–15.5 in (33–39 cm) long tail. Its weight ranges from 6.6–8.4 kg (14.5–18.5 lb).[2]
The large-spotted civet occurs inMyanmar,Thailand,Malaysia,Cambodia,Laos,Vietnam and southernChina. In China, it was last sighted in 1998.[1] It inhabitsevergreen,deciduous, and drydipterocarp forests below elevations of 300 m (980 ft). In Thailand, it occurs in several protected areas as far south asRanong Province.[3]
Data on feeding ecology and behaviour of large-spotted civet do not exist.[1]
The large-spotted civet is threatened due tohabitat degradation, habitat loss, andhunting withsnares and dogs. The population is thought to have been steadily declining throughout the range countries, and in China and Vietnam in particular may have been reduced significantly.[1]In Chinese and Vietnamese markets, it is in demand as food.[4]
Pocock consideredV. megaspila andV. civettina to be distinctspecies.[2]Ellerman andMorrison-Scott consideredV. civettina asubspecies ofV. megaspila.[5]
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