Geographic Range
Sulawesi palm civets are found only on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Verified
range on the island includes the end of the Minahassa peninsula, the east peninsula,
the southeast peninsula, and a small section of central Sulawesi. Few sighting or
specimens have been recorded from central and southern Sulawesi.
Two other species of civets occur within Sulawesi palm civet range. Both the
common palm civet
and the
Malay civet
have been introduced to Sulawesi.
- Other Geographic Terms
- island endemic
Habitat
Sulawesi palm civets preferred habitat is primary growth rain forest. Evidence suggests
these civets are equally prevalent across elevations within its range. These habitats
include upper montane rain forest and cloud forest, lower montane rain forest, and
lowland rain forest. Sulawesi civets are also associated with farms, where they seek
out chicken coops.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- rainforest
- mountains
- Other Habitat Features
- agricultural
Physical Description
Sulawesi civets posses a soft, short, fine coat with brown coloration on the back
and yellow brown coloration on the under parts. The breast may have a reddish tint.
Vague darker spots are arranged along the back in two vertical rows on either side
of the spine. Between seven and eleven light yellowish tail rings can also be present,
but may be incomplete or irregularly spaced. The tip of the tail is darker. The face
is brown with paler zones of hair around the eyes, in the ears, and along the upper
lip.
Very few living specimens have been measured. The data presented here are based on
two female specimens and one male. Body lengths for these females were 650 mm plus
a 480 mm tail and 680 mm with a broken tail 445 mm long. Male body length was 715
mm with a 540 mm tail. Despite having a common name of “giant civet,” they are not
unusually large for a civet, being similar in size to
masked palm civets
. They are, however, the largest wild carnivore on Sulawesi
Females have a perineal scent gland behind their genetalia, but males seem to lack
a perineal scent gland. The female gland characteristics are similar to those of
masked palm civet
. The only other taxa of palm civets in which males lack a scent gland is the genus
Arctogalidia
. Upper and lower cheek teeth run parallel rather than diverging towards the back.
Molecular evidence shows that Sulawesi civets are actually in the subfamily
Hemigalinae
instead of
Paradoxurinae
where they have been historically grouped. Its morphological similarities to the
Paradoxurines
are due to convergence. This puts Sulawesi civets closest relative as the
otter civet
.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- male larger
Reproduction
The reproductive biology of these civets has yet to be studied.
Reproductive behavior of this little known viverrid is still unknown. It is likely
similar to other civets, but because Sulawesi civets are monotypic in its genus and
possibly grouped in the wrong subfamily it is difficult to compare them to other species.
In general, other civets have one to two litters of one to three young per year, with
a gestation period of 30 to 60 days. Time to sexual maturity is about one year.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- viviparous
Females care for the young and have two pairs of nipples. It is possible that mother
and young share some territory. It is unlikely that males participate in parental
care, but this is not known for sure.
- Parental Investment
- female parental care
Lifespan/Longevity
Lifespan of the Sulawesi civet is unknown. Other civets have lifespans of 5 to 20 years.
Behavior
The Sulawesi civet is solitary and nocturnal. It is a highly skilled climber and
specializes in arboreal foraging. It has semi-retractable claws, quick reflexes,
flexible feet, and a mobile tail for balance and bracing. It spends more time on
the ground than some related species, like the binturong and African palm civet.
Home Range
The length of time between visits to a particular site (5 to 10 days) by individual
Sulawesi civets suggests that they maintain a large home range, similar to the 150
hectare range of African civets.
Communication and Perception
Unlike
Malay civets
, Sulawesi palm civets do not make latrines to mark territory with repeated defecation
in the same place. They do leave scratch markings on trees 2 m or so from the ground.
Females have a perineal scent gland, most likely for within species communication.
Food Habits
Sulawesi palm civets are omnivores, subsisting on a variety of animal prey and fruits.
Scat analysis showed small rodents and birds to be the highest content, but fruits
probably provide a larger portion of the diet and are more completely digested. Prey
attributed to Sulawesi palm civets include the
Sulawesi cuscus
, piglets of the
Sulawesi warty pig
, various members of the 28 species of rodents found on Sulawesi, chickens, and megapodes
including
Macrodephalon maleo
, as well as bird eggs. When consuming a bird, the Sulawesi civet eats the entire
animal, including most of the feathers and the feet. In its fugivorus capacity, Sulawesi
palm civets are more of a specialist on palm fruits than the
Malay civet
. Additional fruit foods include cultivated bananas and papayas. Grass was also found
in scats, probably eaten for its fibrous benefits.
- Animal Foods
- birds
- mammals
- eggs
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- fruit
Predation
As the largest native predator on Sulawesi, this civet does not have conspicuous anti-predator adaptions. Number killed by humans and other mortality statistics are unknown.
Ecosystem Roles
These civets are good dispersers of seeds given their preference for palm fruits and
the large range of forest types they are found in on Sulawesi. They are also an important
predator as the largest mammalian carnivore on the island.
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
There is evidence that Sulawesi palm civets are sometimes eaten if caught accidentally.
Their pelts are sometimes kept as trophies if killed raiding livestock or caught accidentally.
They have no great economic value to humans and is not specifically sought out. Sulawesi
palm civets could be considered a pest controller, because of the large portion of
rodents in their diet.
- Positive Impacts
- controls pest population
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Sulawesi palm civets are known to raid chicken coops.
- Negative Impacts
- crop pest
Conservation Status
Population estimates are difficult because of data limitations and their reclusive
nature. The lower elevation forest habitat of the Sulawesi civet is at risk from extensive
logging. The high elevation forest is less at risk due to the difficulty of access
for humans. Some suggest that these civets could be at risk from hunting, but the
native peoples of Sulawesi do not harvest civets due to their distasteful perineal
gland. When hunting does occur it takes place in the lowland range of the civet.
Sulawesi civets live in several protected areas: including The Dumoga Bone National
Park, Gunung Ambang Reserve, Tangkoko-Batuangas Reserve, Lore Lindu Reserve, and Morowali
Reserve.
Additional Links
Contributors
Sarah Meierotto (author), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Laura Prugh (editor), University of Washington, Laura Podzikowski (editor), Special Projects.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- island endemic
-
animals that live only on an island or set of islands.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- rainforest
-
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
- mountains
-
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
- agricultural
-
living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- arboreal
-
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- solitary
-
lives alone
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- frugivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fruit
- omnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
References
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