Common Genet

Overview

The common genet is part of the viverrid family and found in the northern Saharan regions, through sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa. It has also been introduced to parts of Europe, including Spain France and Portugal. They look very much like a cat, with a slender body, a small face with a long tail, large ears and well developed whiskers. They have distinctive markings on their coat with a long black strip down their back and black spots on their sides, and a striped tail. They are very agile, climbing trees and branches with ease. They are generally a solitary animal, living in a wide variety of habitats including forests, rocky areas and agricultural land. Adults are crepuscular and nocturnal, meaning that they are mostly active during the night, at dawn and at dusk. Both males and females will scent mark their home ranges. Females will rub their scent glands, while males are more likely to spray their scent. They are known to have five different vocalisations that they use to communicate, including hiccups, purring, growling and clicks.

Reproduction

Fun facts