African Civet

Civettictis civetta

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Mammalia · Carnivora · Viverridae

About

The African civet is a large viverrid native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is considered common and widely distributed in woodlands and secondary forests. It has been listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008. In some countries, it is threatened by hunting, and wild-caught individuals are kept for producing civetone for the perfume industry.

Fun Fact

African civets produce civetone from their perineal glands, a musky substance that was historically a key ingredient in expensive perfumes and was collected by keeping civets in captivity for centuries.

Quick Facts

Habitat

Forests and savannas

Diet

Omnivore

Lifespan

12-15 years

Threats

Wildfire
Deforestation

External Data Sources

Recent sightings on iNaturalist IUCN Red List profile

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