Found throughout South and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to southern China, Indonesia, and even parts of the Middle East, this civet has managed to thrive in a wide variety of environments—forests, plantations, villages, and even city outskirts. With its elongated body, short legs, and long ringed tail, it looks a bit like a cross between a cat, a mongoose, and a raccoon, but it’s actually part of the Viverridae family—a group of small, nocturnal mammals known for their keen senses, versatility, and shy habits.
Its coat is usually grayish or yellowish brown, patterned with dark spots and stripes that act as natural camouflage in the undergrowth. A prominent black stripe runs along its back, and its tail, marked with alternating dark rings, adds to its striking appearance. Though it’s relatively small, it’s a capable and opportunistic hunter. As a true omnivore, it feeds on small animals, insects, fruits, eggs, and even carrion, allowing it to survive in both wild and human-dominated landscapes.
The small Indian civet is primarily nocturnal, emerging after dusk to forage and patrol its territory. It moves with stealth and agility, using its sharp senses of smell and hearing to locate prey or ripe fruit. By day, it hides in burrows, rock crevices, or dense vegetation, resting until the next night’s adventure. Though it is a solitary creature, it marks its territory using scent glands located under its tail, producing a musky secretion known as civet, which has historically been used in perfume making. In centuries past, this musky substance was so valued that civets were sometimes kept in captivity for harvesting, though this practice has largely declined with the rise of synthetic fragrances.
Distribution
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Cambodia
China
Comoros
India
Indonesia
Laos
Madagascar
Malaysia
Myanmar
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Vietnam
YemenAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
