The African palm civet, Nandinia binotata, is a small, nocturnal and largely arboreal carnivoran found across sub-Saharan Africa, from Guinea east to South Sudan and south to Angola and eastern Zimbabwe. It has a grey to dark brown coat with dark spots on the back, short legs, small ears, a lean body and a long ringed tail, and adults weigh roughly 1.2 to 3 kilograms. It lives in lowland rainforest, gallery and riverine forest, savanna woodland and logged forest up to about 2,500 metres, spending most of its time on large branches among lianas, where it eats fruit such as figs, papayas and bananas. Scent glands on the lower abdomen and between the toes are used to mark territory and in mating. John Edward Gray described the species in 1830, and Reginald Innes Pocock placed it in its own family, Nandiniidae, in 1929. It is the only species in its superfamily and the most genetically isolated living carnivoran. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, although habitat loss and hunting for bushmeat threaten it locally.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) ThreatsAgriculture and Aquaculture 1 ThreatsBiological Resource Use 1 Relationship to People Relationship to PeopleUsed in Traditional Medicine 1 Relationship to PeopleEaten or Drunk by People 1 Relationship to People Living or Extinct Conservation Status Body Size Band Activity Pattern Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source Wikipedia: African palm civet
In the Other Atlases
Found In
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Source Wikipedia: African palm civetDistribution and habitatQuote, Distribution and habitat
ranges throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to South Sudan, south to Angola, and into eastern Zimbabwe
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Wikipedia: African palm civetThreats, where it livesQuote, Threats, where it lives
around 3,300 in the Cameroon part of the Cross
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Source Wikipedia: African palm civetDistribution and habitat, where it lives (2)Quote, Distribution and habitat, where it lives (2)
In Gabon's Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, it was recorded in forested areas during a camera-trapping survey in 2012.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Wikipedia: African palm civetDistribution and habitatQuote, Distribution and habitat
ranges throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to South Sudan, south to Angola, and into eastern Zimbabwe
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Wikipedia: African palm civetDistribution and habitat, where it lives (3)Quote, Distribution and habitat, where it lives (3)
In Liberian Upper Guinean forests, it was sighted in Gbarpolu County and Bong County during surveys in 2013.
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Source Wikipedia: African palm civetThreatsQuote, Threats
an estimated more than 4,300 African palm civets are hunted yearly in the Nigerian part
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Source Wikipedia: African palm civetDistribution and habitat, where it livesQuote, Distribution and habitat, where it lives
In Senegal, it was observed in 2000 in Niokolo-Koba National Park
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Wikipedia: African palm civetDistribution and habitatQuote, Distribution and habitat
ranges throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to South Sudan, south to Angola, and into eastern Zimbabwe
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Wikipedia: African palm civetDistribution and habitatQuote, Distribution and habitat
ranges throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to South Sudan, south to Angola, and into eastern Zimbabwe
Sources
1. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Nandinia binotata (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status
African palm civets are listed by the IUCN with a status of Least Concern because
Food Habits
African palm civets are omnivores.
Conservation Status, CITES
CITES No special status
Habitat
African palm civets mainly live in rainforests but are found in other wooded areas
Behavior
They are nocturnal creatures that are typically most active shortly after nightfall
Conservation Status, habitat destruction
concern related to habitat destruction (due to the rise in agriculture in the area)
Conservation Status, hunting
and hunting of these civets.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive, meat
In some areas African palm civets are hunted by humans and used for meat and medicines.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive, medicine
In some areas African palm civets are hunted by humans and used for meat and medicines.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive, pest control
can be helpful pest managers: preying on rodents found in farmlands.
Lifespan/Longevity
they have lived in captivity for up to 21 years.
Physical Description
Range mass 1.5 to 5 kg
View the Source 2. Wikipedia: African palm civet
Lead
It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Distribution and habitat
ranges throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to South Sudan, south to Angola, and into eastern Zimbabwe
Distribution and habitat, where it lives
In Senegal, it was observed in 2000 in Niokolo-Koba National Park
Distribution and habitat, where it lives (2)
In Gabon's Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, it was recorded in forested areas during a camera-trapping survey in 2012.
Distribution and habitat, where it lives (3)
In Liberian Upper Guinean forests, it was sighted in Gbarpolu County and Bong County during surveys in 2013.
Threats
an estimated more than 4,300 African palm civets are hunted yearly in the Nigerian part
Threats, where it lives
around 3,300 in the Cameroon part of the Cross
Child Taxon Of: Nandinia, Taxonomy and evolution
In 1843, Gray proposed the genus Nandinia and subordinated Viverra binotata to this genus.
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