The otter civet ( Cynogale bennettii) is a semiaquatic viverrid native to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. It is believed to be undergoing severe population decline due to habitat destruction and is classified as an endangered species by the IUCN Red List.
Cynogale is a Monotypic taxon genus.
Characteristics
The otter civet possesses
webbed feet, which is an adaptation to its aquatic habitat. Its long, stiff
may be used for foraging.
Distribution and habitat
Otter civets are distributed in
Sumatra,
Borneo and peninsular Thailand. Lowland
primary forest is apparently the ideal habitat for the species, although it is also known to occur in
secondary forest. Their presence in northern
Vietnam is uncertain.
They are believed to prefer
peat swamp forests, but been sighted at low elevations in tropical dry forests.
In March 2005, an otter civet was photographed by a camera trap within an acacia plantation in central Sarawak during 1,632 trap-nights.
Ecology and behaviour
The otter civet is a
nocturnal species that obtains most of its food from the water, feeding on fish, crabs and freshwater mollusks. It can also climb to feed on birds and fruit. Given its rarity and secretive nature it is a very poorly known species.
Threats
The otter civet is threatened by habitat destruction specifically, the destruction of peat swamp forests to make way for
oil palm plantations. It is sometimes caught in
snare trap intended to catch other species.
[
]
Conservation
Cynogale bennettii is listed in CITES Appendix II.
-
Kanchanasakha, B. (1998). Carnivores of Mainland South East Asia. WWF, Bangkok.
External links
