Specimen Showcase｜A Seed Disperser that Leaves Fragrance Everywhere
- Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum
- Mar 10
- 3 min read
🐾𝘝𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢 𝘻𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘢 Linnaeus, 1758, commonly known as the large Indian civet or Five-striped civet, is a mammal of the Viverridae family, commonly known as civets. It is a widespread carnivorous animal🥩 whose habitat extends in southern Asia, from India to southern China and Singapore. This highly diverse carnivore is able to thrive in a variety of environments, including tropical and subtropical forests, shrubland and grasslands. With a body length ranging between 65 to 85 cm and a long tail of about 40 cm, this medium size mammal is significantly larger than a domestic cat😺. Its distinctive fur is grayish-yellow with brown markings and with black stripes and spots on the back. The neck shows a striking black and white prismatic pattern, while the tail has a remarkable black and white circular stripe pattern.⚫⚪
As a member of the Viverridae, the large Indian civet can secrete civet fragrance thanks to its sac-like perfume glands producing a strong musky smell. These odors are volatile and long-lasting. When it walks, it will frequently "rub piles" on prominent ground objects such as tree trunks, wooden piles, and stones. This behavior not only serves as a marker in the wild, but also provides a way for the large Indian civet cats to bond with each other. When it gets food or is pursued by an enemy, it can successfully return to its nest by following the marked route left behind👣. In addition, when it encounters a potential predator, it can release a very smelly substance🤢 for self-defense. The “victim” can then retain this strong smell for up to a week, making it particularly challenging to approach other Indian civets without being detected👀.
The large Indian civet is highly adaptable, It uses habitats found in a variety of forest environments🌲 from sea level🌊 to 3,000 meters. Its diet includes a wide range of food, including fish, birds, lizards, frogs, insects and scorpions🦂, but also various fruit and other plant materials. This wide range of diet allows it to find suitable food sources even in environments where particular food types are scarce or lacking. The civet cat is not only good at climbing trees, but also good at swimming🏊🏻♀️, and often goes into the water to catch prey. As a result, the population of this small carnivore can reach high density. For instance, In protected areas in Thailand, the density of civets reached 47-87 individuals per square kilometer, the highest recorded for any small carnivore in Southeast Asia.
The large Indian civet is also known as an important "seed disperser🌰" due to the combination of its diet and behaviour. The civet uses fixed defecation "toilets🚻" located at different points of its large territory, which can extend up to 97 square kilometers! Due to the relatively weak plant digestion ability of civets, they can often be found excreting plant seeds and roots, etc in those “toilets” where seeds will then germinate🌱. This behaviour provides several advantages to the dispersed seeds. First, this allows increased dispersal and thus reduces competition with other plants. As the seeds are mixed with other organic matter, it also contributes to a better survival and germination rates for the seedlings. Ultimately, this helps plant species spread widely and balance ecosystems diversity and stability such as in tropical rainforests.
Come visit the Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum to discover the wonders of the civet cat and many more interesting animals and plants. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it with your friends and follow us every week for more posts.👍🏻
Text: Kailyn
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