Order : CARNIVORA
Family : Viverridae
Species : Hemigalus derbyanus

Head-body length : 45-56 cm
Tail length : 25-36 cm
Weight : Up to 3 kg

The Banded Civet occurs in lowland primary rainforest and healthy secondary forest : it is recorded up to 1200 metres elevation. It is nocturnal and mainly terrestrial in habits, but is recognised as a good climber and is known to rest by day either in holes in the ground or in 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 with broken dark bands. The tail is long, the anterior part of which is brown with minor dark banding, and the posterior part is black. The ears are long and erect.

It has a varied diet which primarily comprises large insects, but other forest floor invertebrates such as earthworms are also consumed. It is also reported to forage along forest streams for aquatic animals.

The species ranges from parts of southern Myanmar and southern Thailand, through Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra and Borneo. It does not occur in Singapore.

Fig 1 : An adult male Banded Civet crosses a jungle track at Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo.


References : M2, M3, M5