There are 17 species of civets although ‘civet’ is a generic name not related to a scientific classification and the grouping of these species varies according to which authority is followed. Civet cats are native to Africa, the animals are also found in India, Malaysia, Indochina and Indonesia.
Originally derived from an Arabic term the word civet was at first used to denote a scent obtained from the African civet.
This animal is remarkable for the production of the drug called civet, sometimes erroneously confounded with musk. This is a substance which is fund in a large double glandular receptacle situated at a little distance beneath the tail,
The diet of civets is typically varied. It may include insects, crabs and other invertebrates, as well as frogs, lizards, snakes, fish, birds and mammals.
The civet is nearly two feet and a half in length; the tail is more than one foot, and the mean height of the animal is about one foot three inches.
Civet
