African palm civet

African palm civet
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Nandiniidae Pocock, 1929
Genus:	Nandinia Gray, 1843
Species:	N. binotata
Binomial name
Nandinia binotata Gray, 1830
African palm civet range

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata), also known as the two-spotted palm civet, is a small mammal, with short legs, small ears, a body resembling a cat, and a lithe tail as long as its body. Adults usually weigh 1.70 to 2.10 kg (3.7 to 4.6 lb). It is native to the forests of eastern Africa, where it usually inhabits trees. It is omnivorous with a diet that includes rodents, insects, eggs, carrion, fruit, birds and fruit bats. The animal is generally solitary and nocturnal.

Although resembling other civet species (in the family Viverridae), it has been suggested that the African palm civet is genetically distinct, and diverged from other civets before the cats did. They are therefore classified as the only species in the genus Nandinia and in their own family, Nandiniidae, although this suggestion is not universally accepted.

Taxonomy and evolutionary History

Nandiniidae consists of just one genus and one species and is classified in the order Carnivora and the suborder feliforma. Nandiniidae was previously classified in the family Viverridae; hence it is commonly referred to as a civet. However, morphological analysis suggested it should be placed in separate taxa from civets, and molecular genomic data has supported this claim. They are classified as their own separate family which differentiated from the rest of the suborder feliforma 44.5 million years ago.

See also

• List of solitary animals