Golden palm civet

The golden palm civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis) is a viverrid endemic to Sri Lanka. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2016.The extent and quality of its habitat in Sri Lanka's hill regions are declining.

The golden palm civet was described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1778.

Viverra zeylonensis was the scientific name proposed by Peter Simon Pallas in 1778 for a palm civet specimen from Sri Lanka. Between the 19th and early 21st centuries, several zoological specimens were described, including:

Genetic analysis indicates that specimens of P. montanus, P. aureus and P. stenocephalus share the same haplotype. Because of their low genetic difference, they should neither be considered distinct species nor subspecies, but junior synonyms of the golden palm civet.

The golden palm civet is gold to golden brown on the upper side and paler gold on the belly. Individuals vary from dark sepia to ochreous, rusty or golden-brown. The tips of the contour hairs are frequently lustrous, sometimes greyish. The legs are about the same tint as the back, but the tail and the face are sometimes noticeably paler, buffy-grey. The face does not have a pattern, and the vibrissae are dirty white. The hair in front of the shoulders radiates from two whorls and grows forward along the sides of the neck and the nape to the head. It also grows forward on the fore throat, radiating from a single whorl. The dorsal pattern consists of faint bands and spots that are slightly darker than the ground colour. The lower side is slightly paler and sometimes greyer than the upper. The golden palm civet has two morphs — one golden and one dark brown. Specimens from montane areas are darker, slightly greyish-toned wood-brown, and paler on the underside with a yellowish-white tail tip.

The rounded ears have hairless edges. The eyes are large with vertical pupils. It emits a pleasant odour from anal glands, which is reminiscent of Michelia champaca flowers.

Golden palm civets weigh between 1.4 and 3.2 kg. Their overall length is approximately 90cm. (Approximately 50cm from nose to base of the tail with a tail that is approximately 40cm long).

The golden palm civet's distribution is largely contiguous across the island's wet, intermediate, and dry zones. An isolated population exists in Wilpattu National Park. The species' elusive, nocturnal, and arboreal nature has likely led to significant under-reporting of its true range. It occurs from sea level up to at least 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in the Central Highlands and Knuckles Mountain Range. This species inhabits lowland rainforests, tropical montane cloud forests, dense monsoon forests and dry zone forests.