Palm civet

Paradoxurus is a genus within the viverrid family that was denominated and first described by Frédéric Cuvier in 1822. As of 2005, this genus was defined as comprising three species native to Southeast Asia: In 2009, it was proposed to also include the golden wet-zone palm civet (P. aureus), the Sri Lankan brown palm civet (P. montanus) and the golden dry-zone palm civet (P. stenocephalus), which are endemic to Sri Lanka. However, a subsequent study found very low genetic diversity and no geographical structure within P. zeylonensis and did not support the proposed species split. The same study found that P. hermaphroditus comprised three major clades that should be recognized as separate species: P. hermaphroditus in the Indian and Indochinese regions; Paradoxurus musangus in mainland Southeast Asia and Indonesia (Sumatra, Java and other small islands); and Paradoxurus philippinensis in the Philippines and the Mentawai Islands of Borneo. Paradoxurus species have a broad head, a narrow muzzle with a large rhinarium that is deeply sulcate in the middle, and prominent angles above anteriorly. The large ears are rounded at the tip, the interior ridges and bursae are well developed, the posterior flap of the latter rising behind the edge of the pinna, and the anterior flap is deeply emarginated. The skull exhibits marked muscular moulding, notably in the postorbital area, which is deeply constricted a short distance behind the well-developed postorbital processes, and is considerably narrower than the interorbital area and than the muzzle above the canines. The dental formula is 3.1.4.23.1.4.2. The palate is not produced behind to cover the anterior half of the mesopterygoid fossa, and is flat and expanded between the posterior cheek teeth. The tail is nearly as long as the head and body, sometimes quite as long, and about six times as long as the hind foot. Media related to Paradoxurus at Wikimedia Commons