Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus Research Articles

Food Habits of the Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) in Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia: a Preliminary Report

We conducted a preliminary survey of the wild common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus in a secondary forest in Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia. We collected 125 fresh fecal samples between October 2018 and August 2019. We conducted faecal analyses after species confirmation by camera trapping and faecal DNA analysis. Almost all faeces contained fruits and seeds (frequency of occurrence: 97.6%), while the percentage of animal matter (including mammals, birds, insects, non-insect arthropods, and molluscs) was much lower (22.4%). We observed no seasonal differences in major faecal contents. Higher dependence on fruits by the common palm civets was similar to those in other study sites. Seeds of at least eight different plant species were found in the faeces of the common palm civets, which implied that the common palm civets would play roles as seed dispersal agents.

Winter food habits of the Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Viverridae) in Patna Bird Sanctuary, India

Food habits of the Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus were investigated using scat analysis method, a technique widely used to study small and medium sized mammals. We analyzed 112 scats of Common Palm Civet between November 2012 and March 2013 from the Patna Bird Sanctuary and found a total of nine food items. Out of 112 scats, 32.09% scats contained three food items, 29.62% scats had two items, 24.69% scats contained four prey items, and 3.7% scats had seven prey items. The results show that the Common Palm Civet is more frugivorous (ca. 39.28%) than insectivores (ca. 29.46%). Percent frequency of occurrence showed that insects contributed maximum in the diet of Civet (29.46±2.29) followed by fruits of Ficus religiosa (19.64±1.13), Prosopis juliflora (11.60±0.18), and Date Palm (Phoenix sylvestrix) (8.03±0.23), while birds contributed 9.82±0.02 and rodents 6.25±0.44. Rufous-tailed Hare (Lepus nigricollis ruficaudatus) (1.78±0.96) contributed the minimum in the Common Palm Civet diet. PBS is an Important Bird Area site and it harbours thousands of migratory birds during winter. But the results show that birds are a less preferred diet item of the Common Palm Civet.

<b>Small carnivores of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, the southern Western Ghats, India</b>

The small carnivores of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary were surveyed using camera traps. The study was conducted between November 2016 and February 2017 at 111 camera trap locations. Twenty-five mammal species were recorded, including nine small carnivores from the Mustelidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae and Felidae families. Species included the Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus, Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica, Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsii, Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes smithii, Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis, Jungle Cat Felis chaus and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis. The most common small carnivore was Viverricula indica, followed by Herpestes vitticollis and Paradoxurus hermaphroditus. Time activity patterns revealed that the viverrids were nocturnal while the herpestids were diurnal. The sanctuary supports one endemic species of small carnivore, Paradoxurus jerdoni, and one threatened species, Aonyx cinereus, which is Vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This documentation highlights the biodiversity significance of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and the Nilgiri mountain range in the Western Ghats.

<b>Wildlife hunting by indigenous people in a Philippine protected area: a perspective from Mt. Apo National Park, Mindanao Island</b>

Indigenous people play a major role in the conservation of wildlife species in protected areas. This paper provides an insight on the involvement of indigenous people in protecting and hunting of wildlife species in Mt. Apo National Park, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Here, I assessed indigenous knowledge and practices towards wildlife hunting from three villages from Mt. Apo through immersions, interviews, and focus group discussion between May 2014 and January 2015. The majority of wildlife hunters I encountered were male and married between the ages of 35–60 years old. Commonly hunted wildlife species from the national park included large wildlife species such as the endemic and threatened Philippine Warty Pig Sus philippensis, Philippine Brown Deer Rusa marianna, Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Reticulated Python Malayopython reticulatus, Common Monitor Lizard Varanus salvator and other large birds such as Rufous Hornbills Buceros hydrocorax, large dove species (i.e., Dacula spp.). In the past, wildlife hunting was most commonly done for sustenance and culture. But, poverty and the lack of alternative livelihoods have become a recent motivation to hunt wildlife. This current findings in this study suggest that wildlife are essential for indigenous people in protected areas, however, hunting practices should be monitored and provide alternative livelihood options to reduce threats. This study introduced the vital links between local communities and wildlife in protected areas. Thus, engaging and empowering indigenous people and local communities in wildlife protection combined with appropriate conservation planning are the first steps forward in attaining sustainable and effective local conservation in protected areas.

Horizontal habitat preference of three sympatric Paradoxurinae civet species in a small area in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

We investigated the horizontal habitat use of three sympatric Paradoxurinae species, the common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, the small-toothed palm civet Arctogalidia trivirgata and the binturong Arctictis binturong, occurring within a small area in a lowland dipterocarp rainforest in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We evaluated their preference for forests near open-canopy areas (forest edge habitat) or more mature interior forests (interior-forest habitat) by tracking radio-collared civets in their activity and inactivity periods. We demonstrated that all three Paradoxurinae species occurred in the same area, and extensive range overlap indicated lack of interspecific territoriality. The binturong preferred neither forest edge nor interior-forest habitats. Meanwhile, both the common palm civet and the small-toothed palm civet showed a similar preference for forest edge habitats. Food distribution may affect their habitat use. We could not find clear habitat segregation among the three sympatric Paradoxurinae species, but vertical habitat use may also affect their coexistence. Further effort is needed to elucidate both the horizontal and vertical habitat segregation of sympatric Paradoxurinae species.

Small carnivores of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, southern Western Ghats, India

The first ever detailed study on the small carnivores of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (PkTR) in the southern Western Ghats, using camera trap techniques, reported 11 species. A total of 1,350 camera-trap nights were used for the study. This was supplemented with 242km of day transects and 344km of night transects using spot-lights. The small carnivores reported were the Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica, Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsii, Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis, Brown Mongoose Herpestes fuscus, Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes smithii, Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata, Nilgiri Marten Martes gwatkinsii, Jungle Cat Felis chaus and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis. About 90% of the small carnivores captured in the camera traps in PKTR were members of the Viverridae family such as the Small Indian Civet (31.67%), Common Palm Civet (30%) and Brown Palm Civet (28.33%). The study recorded all the four species of mongoose known from the Western Ghats from PkTR. Two out of the 11 small carnivores belong to the ‘Vulnerable’ category on the IUCN Red List.

Assessing resource and predator effects on habitat use of tropical small carnivores

Habitat use of animals is influenced by a combination of factors including food abundance and interactions with other species. Animals typically must forage while simultaneously avoiding predation from multiple potential predators, but habitat use in tropical forest ecosystems that assesses effects of both predation risk and resources has rarely been conducted. We used camera traps and occupancy analyses to document small mammalian carnivore occurrence in relation to food abundance and interactions with large predators. We hypothesized that habitat use of six small mammalian carnivores (≤15 kg) would be influenced by (1) abundance of resources (fruit, rodents, and streams) and/or (2) large predators. Predictions regarding food and habitat resources were only supported for one species (crab-eating mongoose, Urva urva), which was positively associated with rodents and streams. Three small carnivores (masked palm civet Paguma larvata, common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula) were affected negatively by leopard and mesopredators as predicted. Counter to our predictions, two species (masked palm civet and yellow-throated marten) showed spatial avoidance of tiger suggesting that an apex predator might also pose predation risk to small carnivores. The focal small carnivores and large predators of this study appeared to have moderately to highly overlapping temporal activity indicating no temporal avoidance. In conclusion, food resources appeared to have minimal effects for six small carnivores in this ecosystem probably due to continuous resource availability. Predation risk appeared to affect some species in terms of spatial occupancy but not in temporal activity, indicating perhaps complex, but not entirely negative interactions between larger carnivores and this guild of small carnivores. The mechanisms which facilitate co-occurrence between small carnivores and large predators may, however, operate at finer spatiotemporal scales than we investigated here.

Utilisation of gravel roads and roadside forests by the common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) in Sabah, Malaysia

We compared the sighting frequencies and habitat use of a mammalian carnivore, common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, between interior forests, and gravel roads and roadside forests by nocturnal linetransect survey, live-trapping, and radio-telemetry at Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah, Malaysia. The results of line-transect survey and live-trapping demonstrated the frequent use of gravel roads and roadside forests by common palm civets. Radio-telemetry results indicate their preference for roadside forests during their active time. These results suggested their frequent use of the environments around the gravel roads. However given that they did not use roadside forests preferably at daytime, they need dense vegetation for their rest-sites as well. In light of these findings, roads and related deforestation may affect their movements and spatial distribution in a given habitat. Considering proper arrangement of gravel roads is required to minimise impacts on the local mammal communities and to conserve biodiversity.

Large mammals surviving conflict in the eastern forests of Afghanistan

AbstractWe used transect and camera-trap surveys and DNA identification of scat samples to provide the first update since 1977 of large mammals in the montane forests of the conflict-ridden province of Nuristan in eastern Afghanistan. Nuristan contains a range of habitats from oakQuercusspp. forests to treeless alpine steppes that historically hosted populations of markhorCapra falconeri, Asiatic black bearUrsus thibetanus, grey wolfCanis lupusand common leopardPanthera pardus, among others. Surveys conducted in 2006–2009 in an area of 1,100 km2by the Wildlife Conservation Society confirmed the presence of some of these species, and also recorded the common palm civetParadoxurus hermaphroditus, previously unknown from Afghanistan; this extends the westernmost boundary for this species. The most commonly recorded species, as determined by direct sightings, scat identification or camera-trap photographs, were the Indian crested porcupineHystrix indica, red foxVulpes vulpesand a canid (grey wolf or golden jackalCanis aureus). Despite indications of significant habitat loss and unsustainable hunting, globally important species persist in the area and targeted conservation programmes are required for the protection of these species, the forests they inhabit and the surrounding communities who depend on both for their survival.