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Young World
Cats of the night
BALA THIAGARAJAN
Civets are the nearest relatives to the cats. A little weasel-like in appearance, a civet is long in body and short in limb. The civet lives partly on vegetable matter and is also a good hunter. It is nocturnal in its habits and feeds on small animals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects and often on eggs.The Indian civets include the Spotted Linsang or the Tiger civet, Large Indian civet, Small Indian civet, Common Palm civet or the toddy cat, Himalayan palm civet and the Binturong or the bear-cat. The biggest are the large Indian civet and the Binturong and the Spotted Linsang is the smallest.
The civets are found in different parts of the country and each has its own range, sometimes one overlapping another. The Spotted Linsang is found in the Eastern Himalayas and is the lesser known of the lot. The large civet is also found in the same region but is also common in the plains. The small Indian civet and the common palm civet are found almost throughout the country. They have adapted to living in and around villages and small towns. The Binturong occurs in the thick forests of the Eastern Himalayas and is seldom seen.
All civets, except the Spotted Linsang, have stink glands, the discharge of which is used in defence. The civets also use this musk-like scent to communicate with one another. This secretion has also been used in perfumery and medicine.
The civet probably breeds throughout the year and there may be two litters a year. Two or three young will be born in each litter. The civet's life span is 10-12 years.
Though civets were thought to be silent animals, they are known to emit cat-like cries when alarmed. Unlike other members of the civet family (which are silent), the Binturong has a loud howl, and makes chuckling noises when it is happy.
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