Viverrid Species Research Articles

Prey species and prey selection of dholes at three different sites in Thailand

Abstract. Charaspet K, Sukmasuang R, Khoewsree N, Pla-ard M, Chanachai Y. 2020. Prey species and prey selection of dholes at three different sites in Thailand. Biodiversitas 21: 5248-5262. The study of prey species and prey selection of Dholes at 3 different sites was conducted at Khao Yai National Park, Salak Pra, and Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries from 2013 to 2020. Information on Dhole prey at the sites was collected from the residues of dhole scats, from which the selection index, the relative biomass of the prey, and the relative amounts of the consumed prey were calculated. The data were collected simultaneously with the use of camera traps at each site. The study revealed that there were 13 species of Dhole prey with body weight over 5 kg. The result indicated that there were 7 species of even-toed ungulates. The relative biomass of even-toed ungulates ranged between 76.78 - 90.50% of the total biomass of all the Dholes’ consumed prey for all study sites. The dietary diversity index unveiled a similar index in all areas, which proved the adequacy of the analyzed scats. However, the Niche breadth index, which indicates the relevance of prey selection and prey species to the appearances of the prey at each site, was found to be high at Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Khao Yai National Park, while the index was found to be low at Salak Pra Wildlife Sanctuary. The results revealed that Dholes consumed viverrid species and Malayan porcupine more often at the site where there were large carnivores. The recommendation from this study was the conservation and restoration of the ungulate populations, the main prey, as it greatly affects the conservation of the Dhole populations in Thailand. Grassland and salt lick sites, water sources improvements are also important to promote prey population. The conservation of wildlife prey by releasing them to nature, as currently conducted, has an effect on the increase of Dholes’ prey species.

Civettictis braini nov. sp. (Mammalia: Carnivora), a new viverrid from the hominin-bearing site of Kromdraai (Gauteng, South Africa)

A new Plio-Pleistocene viverrid species is described based on two newly discovered maxillae (KW 10141 and KW 10383) from the recent excavations at the hominin-bearing site of Kromdraai (Gauteng, South Africa). This major site allows us to address the conundrum of Paranthropus and Homo origins in South Africa and presents a highly diverse carnivore spectrum (at least 22 species) including herpestids and viverrids. Civettictis braini nov. sp. is a viverrid species comparable in size to the extant African civet Civettictis civetta (Schreber, 1776). However C. braini nov. sp. differs significantly from the extant species in its dental proportions. Its canine and three premolars (P1–P3) are relatively robust, while its carnassials (P4) and two molars (M1, M2) are extremely reduced. This new species supplements our knowledge on carnivore taxonomic diversity and paleoecology in Southern Africa about 2 millions of years ago.

First known satellite collaring of a viverrid species: preliminary performance and implications of GPS tracking Malay civets (Viverra tangalunga)

AbstractThe application of advanced technologies to the study of little‐known species is a necessary step in generating effective conservation strategies. Despite the biological importance of the small carnivore guild, a paucity of data exists in terms of the spatial ecology of these species, largely due to logistical constraints of large and bulky collar units. This study reports the first known satellite collaring of a viverrid, the Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga), in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Stationary tests of two generations of 65–70 g e‐obs GmbH ‘Collar 1A’ units recorded high fix success rates and good accuracy and precision under semi‐open canopy. From October 2013–August 2015, nine adult V. tangalunga were fit with e‐obs collars recording hourly nocturnal GPS locations. Collars were successfully deployed for 27–187 days. Field GPS fix success varied from 22 to 88.3 %, with the study documenting a total GPS success of 58.1 % across all individuals. Despite this large in‐field performance range, the quality and quantity of data collected by these units surpass that of previous VHF studies on Asian viverrids, collecting on average a 16‐fold increase in locations per collaring day. The successful application of satellite technology to these little‐known carnivores carries significant biological and conservation implications, and it is recommended that satellite collars are a viable technology to conduct detailed and well‐designed ecological studies of Viverridae species.

Seed Dispersal of Vitex Glabrata and Prunus Ceylanica by Civets (Viverridae) in Pakke Tiger Reserve, North-East India: Spatial Patterns and Post-Dispersal Seed Fates

Civets are considered potentially important seed dispersers in tropical forests of Asia, but relatively little is known about spatial patterns of dispersal and post-dispersal fates of civet-dispersed seeds. We explored these aspects of civet seed dispersal for two tree species Vitex glabrata (Lamiaceae), also known as smooth chaste tree and Prunus ceylanica (Rosaceae), in Pakke Tiger Reserve, a tropical forest reserve in north-east India. Pakke has five known species of viverrids: small Indian civet ( Viverricula indica), large Indian civet ( Viverra zibetha), common palm civet ( Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), masked palm civet ( Paguma larvata) and the binturong ( Arctictis binturong). For both tree species, civets as a group dispersed seeds (100% of scats that we found) within 50 meters from fruiting trees and deposited seeds onto multiple substrates including tree branches, forest floor, and fallen logs. However, the distribution of seeds among substrates differed for the two tree species: while most seeds of V. glabrata (> 90%) were deposited onto canopy branches and fallen logs, the majority of P. ceylanica seeds (> 70%) were deposited on the forest floor. For both tree species, seeds deposited on logs experienced higher seed predation than seeds on the forest floor, especially when local seed densities (number of seeds in 1m2 area around the scat and in the scat) were high. Further, seed viability of P. ceylanica was significantly lower on logs (~35%) than on the forest floor (~65%). For both tree species, civets neither dispersed seeds far from fruiting trees nor to sites where seeds experienced either low predation or high survival, suggesting that while civets were legitimate dispersers, they were not especially effective.

Late summer–early winter reproduction in common genets, Genetta genetta

No abstract available

Identification of a forensic case using microscopy and forensically informative nucleotide sequencing (FINS): A case study of small Indian civet (Viverricula indica)

The exhibits obtained in wildlife offence cases quite often present a challenging situation for the forensic expert. The selection of proper approach for analysis is vital for a successful analysis. A generalised forensic analysis approach should proceed from the use of non-destructive techniques (morphological and microscopic examination) to partially destructive and finally destructive techniques (DNA analysis). The findings of non-destructive techniques may sometime be inconclusive but they definitely help in steering further forensic analysis in a proper direction. We describe a recent case where a very small dried skin piece (<0.05 mg) with just one small trimmed guard hair (0.4 cm) on it was received for species identification. The single guard hair was examined microscopically to get an indication of the type of species. We also describe the extraction procedure with a lower amount of sample, using an automated extraction method (Qiagen Biorobot EZ1) and PCR amplification of three mitochondrial genes (16s rRNA, 12s rRNA and cytochrome b) for species identification. Microscopic examination of the single hair indicated a viverrid species but the initial DNA analysis with 16s rRNA (through NCBI BLAST) showed the highest homology (93%) with a hyaenid species (Hyaena hyaena). However, further DNA analysis based on 12s rRNA and cytochrome b gene proved that the species was indeed a viverrid i.e. Viverricula indica (small Indian civet). The highest homology shown with a Hyaenid species by the 16s rRNA sequence from the case sample was due to lack of a 16s rRNA sequence for Viverricula indica in the NCBI data base. The case highlights the importance of morphological and microscopic examinations in wildlife offence cases. With respect to DNA extraction technology we found that automatic extraction method of Biorobot EZ1 (Qiagen) is quite useful with less amount of sample (much below recommended amount).

Modelling ecological niches from low numbers of occurrences: assessment of the conservation status of poorly known viverrids (Mammalia, Carnivora) across two continents

ABSTRACTThe conservation of poorly known species is difficult because of incomplete knowledge on their biology and distribution. We studied the contribution of two ecological niche modelling tools, the Genetic Algorithm for Rule‐set Prediction (GARP) and maximum entropy (Maxent), in assessing potential ranges and distributional connectivity among 12 of the least known African and Asian viverrids. The level of agreement between GARP and Maxent predictions was low when &lt; 15 occurrences were available, probably indicating a minimum number below that necessary to obtain models with good predictive power. Unexpectedly, our results suggested that Maxent extrapolated more than GARP in the context of small sample sizes. Predictions were overlapped with current land use and location of protected areas to estimate the conservation status of each species. Our analyses yielded range predictions generally contradicting with extents of occurrence established by the IUCN. We evidenced a high level of disturbance within predicted distributions in West and East Africa, Sumatra, and South‐East Asia, and identified within West African degraded lowlands four relatively preserved areas that might be of prime importance for the conservation of rainforest taxa. Knowing whether these species of viverrids may survive in degraded or alternative habitats is of crucial importance for further conservation planning. The level of coverage of species suitable ranges by existing and proposed IUCN reserves was low, and we recommend that the total surface of protected areas be substantially increased on both continents.

Coat colour variation in the banded palm civet Hemigalus derbyanus and in Owston's civet Chrotogale owstoni

ABSTRACT 1. Coat colour variation was studied in two viverrid species belonging to the subfamily Hemigalinae, on the basis of museum specimens and observations of live animals. 2. In both species, polymorphism and ontogenetic colour change occur, and in the Owston's civet, sexual dimorphism in coat colour was identified.

Human population density and extinction risk in the world's carnivores.

Understanding why some species are at high risk of extinction, while others remain relatively safe, is central to the development of a predictive conservation science. Recent studies have shown that a species' extinction risk may be determined by two types of factors: intrinsic biological traits and exposure to external anthropogenic threats. However, little is known about the relative and interacting effects of intrinsic and external variables on extinction risk. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we show that extinction risk in the mammal order Carnivora is predicted more strongly by biology than exposure to high-density human populations. However, biology interacts with human population density to determine extinction risk: biological traits explain 80% of variation in risk for carnivore species with high levels of exposure to human populations, compared to 45% for carnivores generally. The results suggest that biology will become a more critical determinant of risk as human populations expand. We demonstrate how a model predicting extinction risk from biology can be combined with projected human population density to identify species likely to move most rapidly towards extinction by the year 2030. African viverrid species are particularly likely to become threatened, even though most are currently considered relatively safe. We suggest that a preemptive approach to species conservation is needed to identify and protect species that may not be threatened at present but may become so in the near future.

Molecular systematics of the Asiatic Viverridae (Carnivora) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence analysis

Cytochrome b sequences of 15 species of Viverridae were used to investigate the systematic relationships of the Asiatic Viverridae and their affinities to African viverrid species. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining) supported the hypothesis of paraphyly of the subfamily Viverrinae, whereas the data suggests the monophyly of the two Viverridae subfamilies endemic to Asia. The Asiatic viverrids do not appear to have a unique origin. Results indicate that the Asiatic linsang is less closely related to the other Asiatic taxa, whereas the African civet (Civettictis) groups with the Asiatic civets (Viverra, Viverricula). The relationships between the three clades — civets, Paradoxurinae, Hemigalinae — cannot be firmly established, but they appear to be closely related together.

Evolution of skull shape in carnivores: 2. Additional modern carnivores

Fifteen functionally significant aspects of skull morphology were measured on skulls of 36 additional species of carnivores to complete a survey of skull shape in modern fissiped (land) carnivores that includes most of the living genera. The measurements were transformed to dimensionless variables based on the residuals from allometric equations, and were analysed singly and in a 10 variable principal components analysis. An initial study of 62 species of viverrids, canids, mustelids and felids had shown those families to be distinguished from each other by the functionally significant measurements. However, among the additional 36 species, some procyonids, ursids and mustelids display a range of diversity of skull morphology that overlaps that of the other families and diminishes the potential value of the measurements as taxonomic characters. Intraspecific variation is presented for 12 species, and is low enough to allow use of some features as species level diagnostic characters. The lack of correlation between diet and functionally significant aspects of skull morphology among omnivorous carnivores, and the absence of certain skull shapes among carnivores are discussed.

The functional anatomy of the hindlimb of some African Viverridae (Carnivora).

The functional anatomy of the hindlimb of 12 species of viverrids was studied with relation to locomotion. The animals were allocated to primary locomotor categories on the basis of their anatomy and locomotion. The climbing, arboreal walking category (Nandinia binotata) is characterized by a small sacroiliac articulation, the iliopsoas inserts onto a medially located lesser trochanter and the femoral condyles are not posteriorly placed. The hindfoot is plantigrade and its structure permits considerable movement. The pads are soft and the claws retractile. Representatives of the arboreal and terrestrial walking and jumping category (Genetta genetta, G. servalina, G. tigrina) have a plantigrade forefoot and digitigrade hindfoot. The lesser trochanter is more posteriorly placed than in the climbing category. A previously undescribed muscle, the caudofemoralis profundus extends from several anterior caudal vertebrae to the femur. The tibio-astragular joint restricts supination of the foot. There is little mediolateral movement in the digitidgrade foot. The claws are retractile. In the general terrestrial walking and scrambling group (Helogale parvula, Mungos mungo, Atilax paludinosus, Bdeogale crassicauda, Herpestes ichneumon, H. sanguineus) the animals have essentially similar hindlimbs except for size differences and modifications to the feet. Helogale and Mungos have large medial epicondyles on the humerus and large terminal phalanges. Bdeogale has a vestigial first metatarsal, while Atilax can splay its digits. In all species the distal phalanges are non-retractile. The trotting category (Civettictis civetta, Ichneumia albicauda) is characterized by longer epipodials and metapodials and a more proximal position of muscle bellies. Most of the adaptations minimize rotation, adduction and abduction of the leg and supination of the foot. The metatarsals are closely adjoined and the distal phalanx is stout and non-retractile. There appear to be two levels of locomotory adaptation. Major adaptations affect the whole appendicular skeleton and are used to assign animals to primary locomotor categories. Minor adaptations occur mainly in the foot and indicate the more specific habits of the animal.

Locomotion in Some East African Viverrids

Twelve species representing nine genera of East African viverrids were studied in captivity and in their natural habitats. Filmed sequences of cap- tive animals showing walking, trotting, running, galloping, jumping, climbing, swimming, and burrowing were studied and are described, and where possible gait formulae are given. The types of locomotion used by different species of viverrids reflect divergent habitats and food preferences.

Etude de quelques Viverrides (mammiferes, carnivores) du Pleistocene inferieur du Tanganyika (Afrique orientale)

Abstract Among the fossils recovered from Villafranchian volcanic tuffs (southeast of Lake Victoria) were species belonging to the subfamilies Herpestinae and Viverrinae: Herpestes palaeoserengetensis (Dietrich), H. palaeogracilis (Dietrich), Mungos dietrichi n. sp., Mungos sp., Viverra leakeyio n. sp. Examination of major differences between the denture structure of Herpestes and Mungos justifies the reallocation of the species originally assigned to the genus Mungos by Dietrich (1942) to the genus Herpestes. V. leakeyi is the first viverrid species reported from the Pleistocene and the first representative of the genus found on the African continent. Fossil species of Viverra are previously known only from the Vindobonian (Miocene) of Europe; two living species inhabit southeast Asia.