| Malagasy civet | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| atRanomafana National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Eupleridae |
| Subfamily: | Euplerinae |
| Genus: | Fossa Gray, 1864[3] |
| Species: | F. fossana |
| Binomial name | |
| Fossa fossana | |
 | |
| Malagasy civet range[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
Viverra fossana Müller, 1776 | |
TheMalagasy orstriped civet (Fossa fossana), also known as thefanaloka (Malagasy,[fə̥ˈnaluk]) orjabady,[4] is aneuplerid endemic toMadagascar.[5] It is theonly species in genusFossa.
The Malagasy civet is a smallmammal, about 47 centimetres (19 in) long excluding the tail (which is only about 20 centimetres (7.9 in)). It can weigh 1.5 to 2.0 kilograms (3.3 to 4.4 lb). It isendemic to the tropical forests of Madagascar. Malagasy civets are nocturnal. It eats small vertebrates,insects, aquatic animals, and eggs stolen frombirds' nests. Themating season of the Malagasy civet is August to September and thegestation period is three months, ending with the birth of one young. The Malagasy civet is listed asVulnerable byInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[1]
The Malagasy namefanaloka is related to theMalay wordpelanduk "mousedeer" (viametathesis) likely due to their similar sizes and silhouette.[6]
The Malagasy civet was to be placed in thesubfamilyHemigalinae with thebanded palm civets and then in its own subfamily, Fossinae, because of similarities with others in the group pointed out byGregory, but it is now classified as a member of the subfamilyEuplerinae, afterPocock pointed out more similarities with that one.[7]
The Malagasy civet is a smallmammal, about 47 centimetres (19 in) long excluding the tail (which is only about 20 centimetres (7.9 in)). The males can weigh up to 1.9 kilograms (4.2 lb), and the females can weigh up to 1.75 kilograms (3.9 lb). It is the second largest carnivore in Madagascar after thefossa.[8][9] it may be confused with thesmall Indian civet (Viverricula indica).[10] It has a short coat greyish beige or brown in colour, with dark black horizontal stripes running from head to tail, where the stripes are vertical, wrapping around the bushier tail. The stripes morph into spots near the belly. Its legs are short and very thin.[10]
The Malagasy civet is nocturnal, though sources disagree over whether it is solitary or, unusual among euplerids, lives in pairs. It is not a good climber and frequents ravines. It eats small vertebrates (mammals, small birds, reptiles, and amphibians), insects, aquatic animals, and eggs stolen from birds' nests.[11][8] It is shy and secretive.[12] Their vocalizations are similar to crying and groaning, as well as a sound similar tocoq-coq. Pairs of males and females defend a large area (around 50 hectares (120 acres)) as their territory.[13] In the winter, it may store fat in its tail, which can make up 25% of their weight.[8][14] Themating season of the Malagasy civet is August to September and thegestation period is around three months, ending with the birth of one young. The young are rather well-developed, weigh around 65 to 70 grams (2.3 to 2.5 oz), and are weaned in two to three months, leaving their parents at around one year old. The average lifespan of a Malagasy civet is about 21 years in captivity.[1][15][16]
The Malagasy civet is found in lowland and rainforest areas of Eastern and Northern areas ofMadagascar, and can also be found in humid and isolated forests inAmber Mountain National Park, and farther north in the less-humid forests ofAnkarana Reserve. It can be found from sea level to 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level, but is only common up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level.[1][10]
The Malagasy civet is listed asVulnerable byInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a decreasing population. Though threatened bydeforestation, hunting, charcoal production, logging, and competition fromintroduced species such asdogs,cats, andsmall Indian civets, it is locally common. Introduced animals such as dogs are likely to prey on Malagasy civets.[1] Its range is now reduced to isolated patches.[16]
