| Golden palm civet | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Viverridae |
| Genus: | Paradoxurus |
| Species: | P. zeylonensis[1] |
| Binomial name | |
| Paradoxurus zeylonensis[1] | |
.png) | |
| Golden palm civet range | |
| Synonyms | |
Thegolden palm civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis) is aviverridendemic toSri Lanka. It is listed asLeast Concern on theIUCN Red List since 2016.The extent and quality of its habitat in Sri Lanka's hill regions are declining.[2]
The golden palm civet was described byPeter Simon Pallas in 1778.[3]
Viverra zeylonensis was thescientific name proposed byPeter Simon Pallas in 1778 for a palm civet specimen from Sri Lanka.[3] Between the 19th and early 21st centuries, severalzoological specimens were described, including:
Genetic analysis indicates that specimens ofP. montanus,P. aureus andP. stenocephalus share the samehaplotype. Because of their low genetic difference, they should neither be considered distinct species nor subspecies, butjunior synonyms of the golden palm civet.[8]
The golden palm civet is gold to golden brown on the upper side and paler gold on the belly.[4] Individuals vary from dark sepia to ochreous, rusty or golden-brown. The tips of the contour hairs are frequently lustrous, sometimes greyish. The legs are about the same tint as the back, but the tail and the face are sometimes noticeably paler, buffy-grey. The face does not have a pattern, and thevibrissae are dirty white. The hair in front of the shoulders radiates from twowhorls and grows forward along the sides of the neck and the nape to the head. It also grows forward on the fore throat, radiating from a single whorl. The dorsal pattern consists of faint bands and spots that are slightly darker than the ground colour. The lower side is slightly paler and sometimes greyer than the upper.[9]The golden palm civet has two morphs — one golden and one dark brown. Specimens from montane areas are darker, slightly greyish-toned wood-brown, and paler on the underside with a yellowish-white tail tip.[7]
The rounded ears have hairless edges. The eyes are large with verticalpupils. It emits a pleasant odour fromanal glands, which is reminiscent ofMichelia champaca flowers.[10]
The golden palm civet's distribution is largely contiguous across the island's wet, intermediate, and dry zones. An isolated population exists inWilpattu National Park. The species' elusive, nocturnal, and arboreal nature has likely led to significant under-reporting of its true range.[2] It occurs from sea level up to at least 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in theCentral Highlands andKnuckles Mountain Range. This species inhabits lowlandrainforests, tropical montanecloud forests, densemonsoon forests and dry zone forests.[11][2]
It is unclear if the golden palm civet inhabits the more arid southern and eastern thorn scrub forests, as these areas have been poorly surveyed for nocturnal mammals.[2]It is not confined to pristine forests and demonstrates considerable habitat flexibility. It is also found in degraded and secondary forests, small, fragmented forest patches, agricultural landscapes and home gardens with tall trees.[2]There are numerous records from human-dominated areas, including near busy roads, archaeological sites likeSigiriya, and on the edges of villages. However, it does not appear to inhabit urban areas, which are typically occupied by the relatedAsian palm civet.[2]
While the golden palm civet readily uses disturbed habitats, its long-term survival likely depends on the presence of some forest cover, as it is not expected to survive in completely deforested landscapes.[2][12]
The golden palm civet is forest-dependent, yet tolerant of minor habitat modification where some continuous forest remains. It is arboreal, nocturnal, and solitary; its diet consists offruits,berries,invertebrates, and a wide range of smallvertebrates.[2]
InSri Lanka the golden palm civet is calledpani uguduwaපැනි උගුඩුවා,sapumal kalawaddhaසපුමල් කලවැද්දා, orranhothambuwaරන් හොතබුවා /hotambuwaහොතබුවා, by theSinhala speaking community. Both golden andAsian palm civets are sometimes collectively calledkalawedda in Sinhala andmaranai (மரநாய்) inTamil.[7]
