{"id":6276,"date":"2020-08-24T23:16:39","date_gmt":"2020-08-24T17:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pugdundeesafaris.com\/blog\/?p=6276"},"modified":"2026-10-15T17:53:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T12:23:50","slug":"civets-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pugdundeesafaris.com\/blog\/civets-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Civets of India"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Of all the unseen wonders of the nocturnal life, there\u2019s one mammalian carnivore that can be spotted late evenings, night, and early morning hours. \u00a0Due to their small cat-like size, they are often mistaken as a member of Felidae<\/em> and referred Civet cats but in actual they are called just \u2018Civets\u2019 <\/strong>belonging to Viverridae<\/em> family<\/strong>, whose close relatives are mongoose and hyenas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are 8 different species of Wild civets found in India <\/strong>out of which Common Palm civets<\/strong> and Small Indian civets can be spotted across the sub-continent. They are omnivorous and some species are frugivorous too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All our Pugdundee Safaris<\/strong><\/a> lodges home these two species and our in-house naturalists have captured them on camera traps as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact three of our lodges, Pench Tree lodge<\/a>, Denwa Backwater Escape<\/a>, Satpura, and Treehouse hideaway<\/a><\/strong>, Bandhavgarh are excellent spots to encounter them during the fruiting season especially, summers. Night Safaris in buffer zones which started in 2021 are a great way to look for civet cats. It is common to encounter Palm Civets and occasionally also Small Indian Civets on these night safaris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we share with you some information on these elusive beings from the dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Common Palm Civet<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Weighing less than 4 kgs<\/strong>, Palm Civets are the most common of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A\n
Common Palm Civet at Tree House Hideaway, Bandhavgarh<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n

They are both arboreal and terrestrial<\/strong>, frolicking late evenings and at night, in a range of habitats including, scrub forest, evergreen, tropical deciduous forests,<\/strong><\/em> and even rooftop of houses and abandoned buildings<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are absent in the arid zone (Some parts of Gujarat & Rajasthan), and the high Himalayan range of our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their black-brown<\/strong> or creamish dark coat is easily identified with white patches across the forehead, ears, and below the eyes<\/strong>. Three longitudinal stripes run across the upper side<\/strong> of their body followed up to its tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4u1K77H1L1k\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n

They are omnivorous <\/strong>and are fond of fruits, nuts, honey, coffee, and palm thus being named the Palm Civet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best viewed<\/strong>: Central Indian National parks Satpura, Pench, Kanha, Tadoba, Panna, Bandhavgarh and other parks as well.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Small Indian Civet<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Small Indian civets<\/strong><\/a> can be easily differentiated from Palm civets due to their pale yellow and brownish grey coats. It has a remarkable black and white ringed tail, and dark spots across its body except for the back. The longitudinal stripes are more clearly visible in the Small Indian Civet and vary between three to five lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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