Wildlifeof India
Brown Palm Civet
Civets, Mongooses & Hyena
Photo: Anil G aka Neelakandan Madavana · CC BY-SA 3.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Paradoxurus jerdoni
Basic stats
Diet
Almost entirely fruit; the account lists more than 53 native plant species
Habitat
Rainforest at about 500–1,300m
Range
Western Ghats, from Castle Rock in Goa to Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Size
Head and body 43–62cm; tail 38–53cm
Weight
Males 3.6–4.3kg
The brown palm civet, or Jerdon's palm civet, is endemic to the Western Ghats of India, where its range runs from Castle Rock in Goa south to Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. The coat is a uniform brown, darker around the head, neck, shoulders, legs and tail, and the dark tail sometimes has a white or pale yellow tip. It is about as large as the common palm civet but has a long, sleek tail. Males weigh 3.6–4.3 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).
It lives in rainforest at about 500–1,300 m, is solitary and nocturnal, and rests by day in tree hollows, vine tangles, Indian giant squirrel nests and branch forks. Fruit makes up about 97% of its diet, from more than 53 native and four introduced plant species, mostly small fruits of trees and lianas. Its diet changes from year to year with fruit availability, and it is a key seed disperser in the Western Ghats rainforest (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Brown Palm Civet eat?
- Almost entirely fruit; the account lists more than 53 native plant species
- What habitat does the Brown Palm Civet live in?
- Rainforest at about 500–1,300m
- Where is the Brown Palm Civet found?
- Western Ghats, from Castle Rock in Goa to Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
- How big is the Brown Palm Civet?
- Head and body 43–62cm; tail 38–53cm
- How much does the Brown Palm Civet weigh?
- Males 3.6–4.3kg