Wednesday, January 7, 2009
You are not logged in: Login | Register

How to Identify the Civet

By Rodney Southern
 
Related Entries:

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

  • Keen Eyesight
  • Night Vision Goggles (if available)
  • Binoculars

Identify The Civet in the Wild

  • Step 1:
    Know the areas that you might find the civet. The civet can be found in Southern Asia, as well as throughout Central Africa. The civet prefers to live in the forests and woodlands, but can also be found in the grasslands of Madagascar. They like to live in trees as well in and among roots and rock piles. The versatile civet can adapt rather well to its surroundings.
  • Step 2:
    Observe the beautiful coat of fur that the civet sports. This fur is spotted as well as striped black and tan to white. This wonderful pattern allows the civet to blend into the forest when it comes out to hunt at night. The civet is a master at staying hidden so you will need to keep a sharp eye out.
  • Step 3:
    Watch the civet feed on a number of different morsels. The civet is an omnivore that can survive on fruit, nuts, and assorted vegetation, as well as small rodents, reptiles, insects and even birds. This wide variance of food sources allows the civet to adapt to whatever is available. The civet will hunt at night, after sleeping throughout the day.
  • Step 4:
    Notice that the civet is generally a solitary animal. The civet spends most of its life alone, though it will become social when mating season comes around. The civet leaves a scent mark on trees and bushes in its range to let other civets know if it is ready to mate. This scent is emitted from the rear of the animal and the glands that produce it have been used to make perfume. In recent years, this practice has been deemed to be cruel, and synthetic replacements are now generally used.
  • Step 5:
    Observe the size of the civet is very similar to a large house cat. The civet is actually quite like a cat in appearance though it does have more of a pointed snout. This snout is sensitive and able to detect smells that a human nose may miss. They also have large eyes to keep aware of its surroundings and see at night. Since they are more active at night, night vision goggles would help in locating this elusive animal.

Tips & Warnings

  • Remember that their are a number of species of Civet.
  • When looking for the civet stay downwind so they do not smell you approaching.
  • Do not attempt to handle a civet in the wild. They will scratch and bite.
  • Any injury from a wild animal can be dangerous and should be checked by a doctor.

Photo/Video Credit

Public Domain (circa 1894 via Wikipedia)
How to Identify the Civet Provided by eHow.com

More Puppy Pages

How to Identify the Genet

How to Identify the Genet

The genet is a small cat like animal that can be found in Africa and parts of Europe and the Middle East. This quiet animal is very shy and is rarely seen in the wild. When you come across a genet, here is how to identify it.

Read More

How to Identify a Coati

How to Identify a Coati

The coati is one of the most interesting animals on planet earth, and is fairly easy to recognize in the wild. These small members of the raccoon family are very distinctive so spotting one is not hard if you know what to look for and where to look.

Read More

How to Identify the Grizzly Bear

How to Identify the Grizzly Bear

Most people think of the term, "grizzly bear" and imagine any old bear. The grizzly bear is far from the average bear. Knowing how to identify this massive mammal is an absolute must if you live in bear country. Often confused with the black bear of...

Read More

How to Identify a Maine Coon

How to Identify a Maine Coon

The Maine coon is a species of cat that comes from Maine and first appeared in the 1700s. This cat was the result of many different types of cat being brought over from Europe that crossbred. Only the strongest and hardiest species were able to survive...

Read More

How to Identify a Lynx

How to Identify a Lynx

There are currently four species of known lynx throughout the world. The majority of which currently reside in North American and the Himalayas. They are a relatively small wildcat and it would be inadvisable to take these cats as pets given the danger...

Read More

Puppy Up Your Blog

Daily Puppy WidgetBox Widget Get this widget from Widgetbox