Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3 |
Order : CARNIVORA
Family : Viverridae
Species : Hemigalus derbyanus
Head-body length : 45-56 cm
Tail length : 25-36 cm
Weight : Up to 3 kg Hemigalus
derbyanus (Banded Civet, Banded Palm Civet) inhabits lowland primary rainforest and
good quality secondary forest; it has been documented up to 1366 metres elevation.
This civet is nocturnal and mainly terrestrial in habits,
but it is also known to be a good climber. By day it rests either in
holes in the ground or in large tree holes.
Its patterning is unmistakable, comprising a buff to brown body colour
adorned with a series of 7 or 8 tapering dark bars across the back. The face
is patterned with dark stripes and the neck has dark, broken bands. The tail
is long, the anterior part of which is brown with minor dark banding, and
the posterior portion is black.
It has a varied diet which primarily comprises large insects. Other
forest floor invertebrates such as earthworms are also consumed, and it is
known to forage along forest streams searching for aquatic animals.
Hemigalus derbyanus occurs in parts of southern Myanmar, southern Thailand,
Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.
Fig 1 : An adult male crosses a
jungle track at Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo.
Fig 2 : Another male example from Peninsular Malaysia, grooming itself for
a few minutes.
Fig 3 : Cluttered, tall secondary forest (partly logged) in Peninsular
Malaysia; Hemigalus derbyanus has been documented in such habitat.
References :
Francis, C.M. 2019. A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-east Asia.
Second Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing. 416 pp.
Lekagul, B., McNeely, J., 1977. Mammals of Thailand. Association for the
Conservation of Wildlife, Thailand. 758 pp.
Payne, J., Francis, C.M., 1998. A Field Guide to the Mammals of
Borneo. The Sabah Society.
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