Viverridae

Viverridae is a family of small to medium-sized feliform mammals, comprising 14 genera with 33 species. This family was named and first described by John Edward Gray in 1821.<ref name=Gray1821>Template:Cite journal</ref> Viverrids occur all over Africa, in southern Europe, South and Southeast Asia on both sides of the Wallace Line.<ref name=Pocock1939>Template:Cite book</ref> The word viverridae comes from the Latin word {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.

The species of the subfamily Genettinae are known as genets and oyans. The viverrids of the subfamily Viverrinae are commonly called civets; the Paradoxurinae and most Hemigalinae species are called palm civets.

Characteristics

File:Binturong skeleton.jpg

Binturong (Arctictis binturong) on display at the Museum of Osteology

Viverrids have four or five toes on each foot and half-retractile claws. They have six incisors in each jaw and molars with two tubercular grinders behind in the upper jaw, and one in the lower jaw. The tongue is rough with sharp prickles. A pouch or gland occurs beneath the anus, but there is no cecum.<ref name=Gray1821/> The male's urethral opening is directed backward.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Viverrids are the most primitive of all the families of feliform Carnivora and clearly less specialized than the Felidae. In external characteristics, they are distinguished from the Felidae by the longer muzzle and tuft of facial vibrissae between the lower jaw bones, and by the shorter limbs and the five-toed hind foot with the first digit present. The skull differs by the position of the postpalatine foramina on the maxilla, almost always well in advance of the maxillopalatine suture, and usually about the level of the second premolar; and by the distinct external division of the auditory bulla into its two elements either by a definite groove or, when rarely this is obliterated, by the depression of the tympanic bone in front of the swollen entotympanic. The typical dental formula is: Template:DentalFormula, but the number may be reduced, although never to the same extent as in the Felidae.<ref name=Pocock1939/>

Their flesh-shearing carnassial teeth are relatively undeveloped compared to those of other feliform carnivorans.<ref name=EoM>Template:Cite book</ref> Most viverrid species have a penis bone (a baculum).<ref name="Ewer1998">Template:Cite book</ref>

Classification

Living species

In 1821, Gray defined this family as consisting of the genera Viverra, Genetta, Herpestes, and Suricata.<ref name=Gray1821/> Reginald Innes Pocock later redefined the family as containing a great number of highly diversified genera, and being susceptible of division into several subfamilies, based mainly on the structure of the feet and of some highly specialized scent glands, derived from the skin, which are present in most of the species and are situated in the region of the external generative organs. He subordinated the subfamilies Hemigalinae, Paradoxurinae, Prionodontinae, and Viverrinae to the Viverridae.<ref name=Pocock1939/>

In 1833, Edward Turner Bennett described the Malagasy fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) and subordinated the Cryptoprocta to the Viverridae.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> A molecular and morphological analysis based on DNA/DNA hybridization experiments suggests that Cryptoprocta does not belong within Viverridae, but is a member of the Eupleridae.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) resembles the civets of the Viverridae, but is genetically distinct and belongs in its own monotypic family, the Nandiniidae. There is little dispute that the Poiana species are viverrids.<ref name=msw3/>

DNA analysis based on 29 carnivoran species, comprising 13 Viverrinae species and three species representing Paradoxurus, Paguma and Hemigalinae, confirmed Pocock's assumption that the African linsang Poiana represents the sister group of the genus Genetta. The placement of Prionodon as the sister group of the family Felidae is strongly supported, and it was proposed that the Asiatic linsangs be placed in the monogeneric family Prionodontidae.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Family Viverridae<ref name="Gaubert2006"/><ref name=msw3/><ref name=Nyakatura-2012/>

Subfamily	Genus	Species	Image of type species
Viverrinae	Viverra Template:Small<ref name=Linnaeus>Template:Cite book</ref>	Large Indian civet (V. zibetha) Template:Small<ref name=Linnaeus/> Malayan civet (V. tangalunga) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Malabar large-spotted civet (V. civettina) Template:Small<ref name=Blyth>Template:Cite journal</ref> Large-spotted civet (V. megaspila) Template:Small<ref name=Blyth/>	File:Large Indian Civet, Viverra zibetha in Kaeng Krachan national park.jpg
	Viverricula Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	Small Indian civet (V. indica) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	File:Small Indian Civet, Silchar, Assam, India.jpg
	Civettictis Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	African civet (C. civetta) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	File:Civettictis civetta 11.jpg
Hemigalinae Template:Small<ref name=Gray1864>Template:Cite journal</ref>
	Hemigalus Template:Small<ref name=Jourdan>Template:Cite journal</ref>	Banded palm civet (H. derbyanus) Template:Small<ref name=Jourdan/>	File:Banded palm civet 10.jpg
	Cynogale Template:Small<ref name=Gray1836>Template:Cite journal</ref>	Otter civet (C. bennettii) Template:Small<ref name=Gray1836/>	File:Mampalon.jpg
	Diplogale Template:Small<ref name=Thomas1912>Template:Cite journal</ref>	Hose's palm civet (D. hosei) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	File:HemigaleHoseiSmit.jpg
	Macrogalidia Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	Sulawesi palm civet (M. musschenbroekii) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	File:Macrogalidia musschenbroekii.jpg
	Chrotogale Template:Small<ref name=Thomas1912/>	Owston's palm civet (C. owstoni) Template:Small<ref name=Thomas1912/>	File:Chrotogale owstoni PWP.jpg
Paradoxurinae Template:Small<ref name=Gray1864/>	Paradoxurus Template:Small<ref name=Cuvier>Template:Cite journal</ref>	Asian palm civet (P. hermaphroditus) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Golden palm civet (P. zeylonensis) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Brown palm civet (P. jerdoni) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	File:Asian or Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus Chambal by Dr. Raju Kasambe (6).JPG
	Arctictis Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Binturong (A. binturong) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	File:Binturong in Overloon.jpg
	Paguma Template:Small<ref name=Gray1831>Template:Cite book</ref>	Masked palm civet (P. larvata) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	File:Palm civet on tree (detail).jpg
	Arctogalidia Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	Small-toothed palm civet (A. trivirgata) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	File:Small-toothed Palm Civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata stigmatica) (8076736823) (cut).jpg
Genettinae	Genetta Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Common genet (G. genetta) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Cape genet (G. tigrina) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> South African small-spotted genet (G. felina) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Dead link</ref> Rusty-spotted genet (G. maculata) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Pardine genet (G. pardina) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Abyssinian genet (G. abyssinica) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> King genet (G. poensis) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Servaline genet (G. servalina) Template:Small Angolan genet (G. angolensis) Template:Small Giant forest genet (G. victoriae) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Hausa genet (G. thierryi) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Letaba genet (G. letabae) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Johnston's genet (G. johnstoni) Template:Small Aquatic genet (G. piscivora) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Crested servaline genet (G. cristata) Template:Small Schouteden's genet (G. schoutedeni) Template:Small Bourlon's genet (G. bourloni) Template:Small<ref name="Gaubert2003">Template:Cite journal</ref>	File:Genetta genetta felina (Wroclaw zoo).JPG
	Poiana Template:Small<ref name=Gray1864/>	Central African oyan (P. richardsonii) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> West African oyan (P. leightoni) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	File:Em - Poiana richardsonii 2.jpg

Phylogeny

The phylogenetic relationships of Viverridae are shown in the following cladogram:<ref name="Gaubert2006">Template:Cite journalTemplate:Open access</ref><ref name=Nyakatura-2012>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Template:Clade

Extinct species

Subfamily	Genus	Species
Viverrinae	Viverra Template:Small	Leakey's civet (V. leakeyi) Template:Small
	Semigenetta Template:Small	†S. cadeoti Template:Small †S. elegans Template:Small †S. grandis Template:Small †S. laugnacensis Template:Small †S. ripolli Template:Small †S. sansaniensis Template:Small
Paradoxurinae	Kichechia Template:Small<ref name="Savage1965">Template:Cite journal</ref>	†K. zamanae<ref name="Savage1965" /> †K. savagei<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
	Tugenictis Template:Small<ref name="Morales2005">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="FortTernan">Template:Cite journal</ref>	†T. ngororaensis<ref name="Morales2005" /> Template:Small
	Kanuites Template:Small<ref name="Dehghani">Template:Cite journal</ref>	†K. lewisae<ref name="Dehghani" /> Template:Small
	Siamictis Grohé et al., 2020<ref name=Grohé>Template:Cite journal</ref>	†S. carbonensis<ref name=Grohé /> Grohé et al., 2020

See also

• List of viverrids

External links

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