Wildlifeof India
Small Indian Civet
Civets, Mongooses & Hyena
Photo: Aravinth · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Viverricula indica
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly small vertebrates, especially rodents; also fruit, carrion and insects
Habitat
Forest edges and grassland; recorded up to 2,500m in north-east India
Litter size
2–5 young
Gestation period
65–69 days
Size
Head and body 53–58cm; tail 38–43cm
Weight
2–4kg
The small Indian civet has coarse fur, brownish grey to pale yellowish brown, marked with black or brown bands along the back and rows of spots on the sides. There are black and white rings on the neck and a banded black-and-white tail. It is 53–58 cm long in head and body with a 38–43 cm tapering tail and weighs 2–4 kg, with males larger than females (Wikipedia, general species account; Animal Diversity Web).
It occurs in most of India, and elsewhere from Sri Lanka to Myanmar, Southeast Asia and south China. In 2008 one was recorded for the first time in Dachigam National Park at 1,770 m, and in north-east India it has been recorded up to 2,500 m. It is generally solitary and nocturnal, mostly ground-living but a good climber, and rests in burrows or hollow logs. Gestation averages 65–69 days (Wikipedia, general species account; Animal Diversity Web).
Quick answers
- What does the Small Indian Civet eat?
- Mainly small vertebrates, especially rodents; also fruit, carrion and insects
- What habitat does the Small Indian Civet live in?
- Forest edges and grassland; recorded up to 2,500m in north-east India
- What is the litter size of the Small Indian Civet?
- 2–5 young
- How long is the gestation period of the Small Indian Civet?
- 65–69 days
- How big is the Small Indian Civet?
- Head and body 53–58cm; tail 38–43cm
- How much does the Small Indian Civet weigh?
- 2–4kg