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African palm civet
African palm civet
African palm civet
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African palm civet
A mounted specimen in Manchester Museum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Superfamily: Nandinioidea
Family: Nandiniidae
Pocock, 1929
Genus: Nandinia
Gray, 1843
Species:
N. binotata
Binomial name
Nandinia binotata
(Gray, 1830)
Map of Africa showing highlighted range covering southern West Africa and much of central Africa
African palm civet range
Synonyms[2]

Viverra binotata Gray 1830

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata), also known as the two-spotted palm civet, is a small feliform mammal widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.[1] It is the sole member of the superfamily Nandinioidea and the most genetically isolated carnivoran.

Characteristics

[edit]

The African palm civet is grey to dark brown with dark spots on the back. It has short legs, small ears, a lean body, and a long, ringed tail. It has two sets of scent glands on the lower abdomen and between the third and fourth toes on each foot, which secrete a strong-smelling substance used to mark territory and in mating. Adult females reach a body length of 37–61 cm (15–24 in) with a 34–70 cm (13–28 in) long tail and weigh 1.2–2.7 kg (2.6–6.0 lb). Adult males reach 39.8–62.5 cm (15.7–24.6 in) in body length with a 43–76.2 cm (16.9–30.0 in) long tail and weigh 1.3–3 kg (2.9–6.6 lb).[3]

The African palm civet's ear canal is not divided and cartilaginous at the end.[4]

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

The African palm civet ranges throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to South Sudan, south to Angola, and into eastern Zimbabwe. It has been recorded in deciduous forests, lowland rainforests, gallery and riverine forests, savanna woodlands, and logged forests up to an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft).[1]

In the 1950s, one individual was wild-caught on Bioko Island.[5] However, it was not recorded on the island during subsequent surveys between 1986 and 2015.[6] In Guinea's National Park of Upper Niger, it was recorded during surveys conducted in 1996 to 1997.[7] In Senegal, it was observed in 2000 in Niokolo-Koba National Park, which encompasses mainly open habitat dominated by grasses.[8] In Gabon's Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, it was recorded in forested areas during a camera-trapping survey in 2012.[9] In Batéké Plateau National Park, it was recorded only west of the Mpassa River during surveys carried out between June 2014 and May 2015.[10] In Liberian Upper Guinean forests, it was sighted in Gbarpolu County and Bong County during surveys in 2013.[11]

In Zanzibar, it was recorded in groundwater forest on Unguja Island in 2003.[12]

Behaviour and ecology

[edit]

The African palm civet is a nocturnal, largely arboreal mammal that spends most of the time on large branches, among lianas in the canopy of trees. It eats fruits such as those of the African corkwood tree (Musanga cecropioides), Uapaca, persimmon (Diospyros hoyleana), fig trees (Ficus), papayas (Carica papaya), and bananas (Musa).[13]

Males have home ranges of 34–153 ha (0.13–0.59 sq mi) and females of 29–70 ha (0.11–0.27 sq mi). The home range of a dominant male includes home ranges of several females.[13]

Reproduction

[edit]

In Gabon, females were recorded to give birth in the long wet season and at the onset of the dry season between September and January.[13] The female usually gives birth after a gestation period of 2–3 months. A litter consists of up to four young that are suckled for around three months. While she has suckling young, the female's mammary glands produce an orange-yellow liquid, which discolours her abdomen and the young civets' fur. This probably discourages males from mating with nursing females.[citation needed] Its generation length is 7.8 years.[14]

Taxonomy and evolution

[edit]

In 1830, John Edward Gray first described an African palm civet using the name Viverra binotata based on a zoological specimen obtained from a museum in Leiden.[15]

In 1843, Gray proposed the genus Nandinia and subordinated Viverra binotata to this genus.[16]

In 1929, Reginald Innes Pocock proposed the family Nandiniidae, with the genus Nandinia as sole member. He argued that it differs from the Aeluroidea by the structure and shape of its ear canal and mastoid part of the temporal bone.[4]

Results of morphological and molecular genetic analyses indicate that it differs from viverrids and diverged from the Feliformia about 44.5 million years ago,[17] It is the most genetically isolated Carnivoran, being the only species within its superfamily as a whole.

Phylogenetic tree

[edit]

The phylogenetic relationships of African palm civet is shown in the following cladogram:[17]

Feliformia

Threats

[edit]

The African palm civet is threatened by habitat loss and hunting for bushmeat.[1] In 2006, an estimated more than 4,300 African palm civets are hunted yearly in the Nigerian part and around 3,300 in the Cameroon part of the Cross–Sanaga–Bioko coastal forests.[18]

In Guinea, dead African palm civets were recorded in spring 1997 on bushmeat market in villages located in the vicinity of the National Park of Upper Niger.[19] Dried heads of African palm civets were found in 2007 at the Bohicon and Dantokpa Markets in southern Benin, suggesting that they are used as fetish in animal rituals.[20] The attitude of rural people in Ghana towards African palm civets is hostile; they consider them a menace to their food resources and safety of children.[21] In Gabon, it is among the most frequently found small carnivores for sale in bushmeat markets.[22] Upper Guinean forests in Liberia are considered a biodiversity hotspot. They have already been fragmented into two blocks. Large tracts are threatened by commercial logging and mining activities, and are converted for agricultural use including large-scale oil palm plantations in concessions obtained by a foreign company.[11]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

African palm civet

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) is the only living species in the family Nandiniidae, a small arboreal carnivoran distinguished as the most basal extant feliform within the order . Native to , it inhabits a range spanning from coastal eastward to and southward to northern and , primarily in rainforests but also in secondary forests, woodlands, and areas receiving at least 1,000 mm of annual rainfall. Adults exhibit , with males larger than females; body length ranges from 43 to 71 cm, tail length from 38 to 59 cm, and weight from 1.7 to 3.2 kg, featuring a slender build, spotted pelage for , large eyes for nocturnal activity, and semi-retractile claws for . Nocturnal and largely solitary except during maternal care, the African palm civet forages in tree canopies, descending occasionally to the ground; it communicates via scent marking and vocalizations including growls and chirps. Its diet is omnivorous, dominated by fruits that aid , supplemented by , small vertebrates such as and birds, eggs, and carrion. Females are polyestrous, breeding year-round with a period of approximately 64 days, producing litters of 2 to 4 precocial young in tree nests; offspring reach independence after several months. Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, the species maintains stable populations across its extensive distribution due to tolerance of moderate alteration and absence of severe threats, though localized hunting and pose risks in some regions. Its ecological role includes contributing to regeneration through frugivory, underscoring its value in tropical ecosystems despite limited study compared to other carnivorans.

Taxonomy and evolution

Classification and nomenclature

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) belongs to the order , suborder , family Nandiniidae, genus , and is the sole extant species within its genus and family. This classification reflects its distinct morphological and genetic traits, setting it apart from other viverrids and aligning it more closely with feliform carnivorans. The binomial name Nandinia binotata derives from Gray's 1830 description of the species as Viverra binotata, with "binotata" referring to the two distinctive spots on the face (from Latin bi- meaning "two" and notata meaning "marked"). The genus Nandinia was established by Gray in 1839 to accommodate this species, distinguishing it from true viverrids based on cranial and dental features. Initially grouped with Asian civets in the family Viverridae, it was reclassified into its own monogeneric family, Nandiniidae, by Pocock in 1929, a placement supported by subsequent anatomical studies emphasizing primitive feliform characteristics such as a non-retractile claw structure and arboreal adaptations. No widely recognized subspecies are currently accepted, though historical variants like N. b. intensa have been proposed based on regional pelage differences.

Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) is the only extant species in the family Nandiniidae, which forms a monotypic clade within the suborder of the order . Phylogenetic analyses combining molecular sequence data (e.g., mitochondrial and nuclear genes) and morphological traits, such as cranial and auditory bulla structure, position Nandiniidae as the sister group to all other , including the superfamilies Feloidea ( and allies) and (Viverridae, Herpestidae, Hyaenidae, and ). This basal placement underscores Nandinia's genetic and morphological isolation, with autapomorphies like a cartilaginous caudal entotympanic distinguishing it from derived feliforms. Evolutionary divergence of Nandiniidae from remaining Feliformia is estimated to have occurred during the Eocene to early , though molecular clock studies yield varying timelines due to differences in fossil calibrations, substitution models, and sampling. One supertree analysis incorporating 286 carnivoran species dates the split at 53.2 million years ago (95% : 48.4–57.8 Ma), portraying Nandiniidae as a relic of an ancient feliform radiation shortly after the Caniformia-Feliformia around 60 Ma. In contrast, mitogenomic phylogenies from over 200 suggest a later at 34.4–31.1 Ma, aligning with intensified feliform diversification during the climatic shifts that favored arboreal and forest-adapted niches in . These discrepancies highlight ongoing uncertainties in deep-time calibrations, with earlier estimates emphasizing Nandinia's retention of primitive traits like semi-arboreal locomotion amid feliform specialization toward hypercarnivory or scadvory in sister clades. The fossil record provides limited direct evidence for Nandiniidae's history, with no unambiguous pre-Pleistocene fossils confidently assigned to the family, likely due to its elusive, forested lifestyle hindering preservation. Indirect support comes from early feliform stem taxa in the of and , such as miacid-like forms, but Nandinia's lineage appears to have persisted in equatorial Africa as a "living fossil," avoiding extinction pressures that pruned other basal carnivorans during faunal turnovers. This evolutionary persistence correlates with stable tropical habitats, enabling Nandinia to retain plesiomorphic features like a broad diet and climbing prowess, distinct from the cursorial or predatory adaptations in derived .

Physical description

Morphology and size variation

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) exhibits a slender, elongated body morphology conducive to arboreal lifestyles, featuring a relatively long trunk, short limbs, and a bushy often equal to or exceeding head-body . Head-body measurements typically range from 42 to 58 cm, with lengths spanning 46 to 62 cm; overall, adults display a compact yet agile build suited for and navigating canopies. Body mass varies from 1.5 to 5 kg, reflecting adaptability to diverse nutritional availability in forested habitats, though averages cluster around 1.7 to 3 kg for most individuals. Pelage is short, woolly, and dense, providing with a uniform grayish to dark brown coloration dorsally and slightly paler ventral , occasionally accented by faint spotting or banding that enhances blending with bark and foliage. The head is cat-like with a pointed muzzle, prominent rounded ears, and large eyes adapted for low-light conditions, while paws possess retractile claws and soft pads for gripping branches. Sexual dimorphism is minimal, with males and females exhibiting similar external proportions and pelage patterns; any subtle differences, such as males attaining the upper mass extremes (up to 5 kg), likely stem from reproductive roles rather than pronounced morphological divergence. Across the four recognized (N. b. binotata, N. b. arborea, N. b. gerrardi, N. b. intensa), size parameters remain broadly consistent, though regional pelage tones may vary slightly—darker in humid equatorial zones and lighter in drier savanna-forest edges—without documented clinal shifts in linear dimensions or mass. Ontogenetic variation occurs, with neonates weighing approximately 55 g and rapidly scaling to metrics within months, underscoring rapid growth rates tied to high-metabolism carnivoran . Empirical data on intraspecific variation remain limited, primarily derived from museum specimens and field observations, precluding robust quantification of environmental influences like density on body size.

Anatomical adaptations and sensory capabilities

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) possesses a suite of anatomical adaptations that support its predominantly arboreal and nocturnal habits. Its body is characterized by a slender, lean build with short legs, enabling agile navigation through dense canopies. The long, ringed , often exceeding the head-body length, provides balance and stability during and leaping between branches. Sharp, non-retractable claws on the paws facilitate gripping tree bark and vertical surfaces, essential for ascending and descending trunks. Limb morphology further underscores climbing proficiency. In the , a small sacroiliac articulation and medial insertion of the muscle enhance flexibility and power for , distinguishing it from more terrestrial viverrids. adaptations include robust flexor and extensor muscles, coupled with a flexible foot, which allow for powerful grips and rotary wrist movements during branch traversal. Postcranial elements, such as the proximal , exhibit features correlated with arboreal climbing, including increased leverage for flexion. Sensory capabilities are attuned to low-light foraging and chemical communication. Olfaction is particularly acute, supported by multiple perianal and interdigital that produce strong-smelling for territorial marking and social signaling; these glands are located on the lower and between the third and fourth toes of each foot. The animal detects visual, auditory, tactile, and chemical cues, with playing a primary role in intraspecific interactions over vocalizations. As a nocturnal species, it relies on enhanced low-light vision typical of feliform carnivorans, though specific metrics like tapetal reflectivity remain undocumented in primary studies.

Distribution and habitat

Geographic range

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) inhabits much of , with a broad distribution extending from coastal eastward across the equatorial belt to and southward to northern and eastern . Its range encompasses continuous populations in the southern portions of and throughout , including the , while East African populations are more disjunct, occurring in montane and lowland forests from southern through , , , , and into . Specific countries within its distribution include , , , , , Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, , , , , , , , , , , , , Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. The species is absent from arid regions such as the and , preferring forested and wooded habitats within its geographic limits. Elevational range varies from sea level to 2,500 meters above sea level, as recorded in the of , allowing adaptation to both lowland rainforests and montane forests. Recent surveys have documented range extensions, including the first confirmed records in central in 2015, expanding beyond previously mapped boundaries in the IUCN assessment. Despite its wide distribution, poses localized threats, though the overall range remains extensive and supports a conservation status.

Habitat preferences and environmental adaptability

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) primarily inhabits forested environments across , favoring areas with dense canopy cover that support its arboreal lifestyle, such as lowland rainforests, gallery forests, and riverine forests where it spends most of its time in trees between 10 and 30 meters above ground. It shows a clear for habitats receiving at least 1,000 mm of annual rainfall, which sustains the moist, wooded conditions essential for its prey availability and vertical habitat partitioning to minimize competition with terrestrial carnivores. These preferences align with its evolutionary adaptations as a viverrid, emphasizing canopy-dependent niches over open grasslands, though it occasionally traverses clearings to access food sources. In terms of environmental adaptability, the species demonstrates resilience in modified landscapes, occurring in savanna woodlands, forests, logged secondary forests, and even riverine peatlands or swamplands where primary has been degraded. This flexibility is evidenced by its persistence in human-disturbed areas like the forests, where bushmeat surveys indicate higher densities compared to less fragmented upland sites, suggesting tolerance for edge habitats amid and . Its broad dietary opportunism—encompassing fruits, , and small vertebrates—further enables survival across varying and vegetation gradients, from tropical rainforests to drier wooded savannas, without strict dependence on pristine conditions. However, prolonged below critical rainfall thresholds or extensive canopy loss can limit populations, as arboreal refugia become scarce, underscoring a boundary to its adaptability beyond minimally wooded environs.

Behavior

Activity patterns and locomotion

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) exhibits predominantly nocturnal activity patterns, remaining hidden and resting during daylight hours, typically in tree branches or dense foliage. Peak activity occurs in the initial hours after , facilitating and movement under cover of darkness to minimize encounters with diurnal predators. This aligns with its arboreal lifestyle, where individuals sleep elevated between 10 and 30 meters above ground during the day. Locomotion in the African palm civet is highly adapted for arboreal environments, emphasizing agile climbing and swift navigation through canopies. It employs foot posture with large, deeply ridged pads on the hindfeet, enabling secure grip on vertical surfaces, smooth bark, and branches up to 20 cm in . The hindlimbs feature anatomical specializations, including a small sacroiliac articulation and medial insertion of the muscle, supporting efficient climbing and arboreal walking rather than terrestrial sprinting. Individuals move silently and deliberately through treetops, rarely descending to the ground except for occasional water access or broader foraging, and demonstrate capability for leaping between branches with tail-assisted balance.

Social structure, territoriality, and communication

African palm civets (Nandinia binotata) maintain a predominantly solitary , with adults interacting minimally outside of encounters and maternal-offspring bonds. Females rear litters independently, forming the primary enduring social unit, while males exhibit polygynous breeding patterns by traversing overlapping female ranges without sustained . Transient aggregations of up to 15 individuals may occur at abundant sources, but these lack behaviors or stable hierarchies. Both sexes defend territories through olfactory signaling, depositing scents from perianal glands, , and onto prominent substrates like tree trunks and branches. Male home ranges span 34–153 hectares, encompassing those of multiple females (29–70 hectares), enabling mate access while minimizing intrasexual competition via dominance displays. Territorial boundaries are dynamically adjusted based on resource availability, with higher marking densities at core areas and along borders. Communication relies heavily on chemosignals for territory advertisement, individual recognition, and reproductive signaling, supplemented by acoustic cues during close-range or contexts. Dominant males emit loud hooting calls, audible up to 1 km, to coordinate with neighboring females, while mewing, clucking, and growling vocalizations facilitate distress signaling or agonistic encounters among proximate individuals. Visual and tactile cues, such as postural displays, play minor roles in intraspecific interactions.

Ecology

Diet and foraging strategies

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) maintains an omnivorous diet dominated by frugivory, with fruits comprising the majority of its intake, including those from fig trees (Ficus spp.), papayas (Carica papaya), bananas (Musa spp.), African corkwood (Uapaca spp.), and persimmons. It supplements this plant matter with animal prey such as insects, rodents, lizards, frogs, bats, birds, bird eggs, and hatchlings, as well as nectar, honey from raided apiaries, and occasionally carrion. Dietary composition varies seasonally and opportunistically, reflecting availability in tropical forest environments, with frugivory peaking during fruit abundance and animal matter increasing when fruits are scarce. Foraging occurs primarily at night in an arboreal manner, leveraging the species' climbing adaptations to access canopy fruits and prey in trees, though individuals also descend to the forest floor for fallen fruits or ground-dwelling invertebrates. Keen olfaction guides the detection of ripe fruits and hidden animal food sources, enabling efficient location without visual reliance in low-light conditions. This strategy supports energy acquisition in fragmented habitats, where opportunistic shifts between plant and animal foods mitigate nutritional gaps, though limited quantitative data on prey selectivity exist due to elusive behavior and sparse field observations.

Predators, prey interactions, and ecological role

African palm civets (Nandinia binotata) are vulnerable to predation primarily by leopards (Panthera pardus), pythons, and diurnal raptors, which exploit their arboreal lifestyle despite the civets' reliance on cryptic coloration and nocturnal activity for evasion. Limited direct observations suggest humans represent a significant threat through for and traditional uses, though empirical data on predation rates remain sparse due to the species' elusive nature. As opportunistic predators, African palm civets exert top-down pressure on prey populations by consuming , , , bats, birds, eggs, and carrion, with dietary analyses indicating these items comprise a substantial portion of their alongside fruits. This carnivorous component of their omnivorous diet—supplemented by frugivory on species such as figs, persimmons, and Uapaca—enables them to regulate small and abundances in understories and canopies, potentially mitigating outbreaks of pest species like . In their ecosystems, African palm civets contribute to by ingesting fruits and depositing viable seeds via scat across forested habitats, facilitating plant recruitment and forest regeneration in tropical African environments. Their function extends to human-modified landscapes, where they occasionally reduce and densities, though this role diminishes with . Overall, as common small carnivores in suitable habitats, they maintain trophic balance without facing population-level threats from predators, per IUCN assessments classifying the species as Least Concern.

Reproduction and life history

Mating systems and breeding seasonality

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) exhibits a polygynous , wherein males mate with multiple females, reflecting the ' solitary habits where adults converge primarily for copulation rather than sustained pair bonds or . This arrangement is inferred from observations of territorial males defending ranges that overlap with those of several females, facilitating opportunistic encounters during estrus. Limited field data indicate that involves close-range vocalizations and physical proximity, as noted in captive studies, though wild behaviors remain incompletely documented due to the animal's nocturnal and arboreal lifestyle. Breeding seasonality in the African palm civet is flexible and opportunistic, occurring year-round across its sub-Saharan range but with bimodal peaks typically aligned to rainy seasons when fruit and invertebrate abundance supports lactation and juvenile survival. In equatorial West and Central African populations, births concentrate in May and October, corresponding to wet periods that enhance food resources. This pattern suggests environmental cues, such as photoperiod and precipitation-driven prey booms, modulate reproductive timing rather than strict endogenous cycles, allowing adaptation to variable tropical climates. Regional differences may occur; for example, more pronounced seasonality is reported in southern populations, potentially linked to drier habitats. Overall, the lack of rigid breeding constraints contributes to the species' resilience in fragmented forests, though data derive largely from opportunistic records and captive breeding, underscoring gaps in long-term field studies.

Gestation, birth, and parental care

The gestation period for the African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) lasts approximately 9 weeks, or 63-64 days. Births typically occur during peak periods in May and , aligning with seasonal breeding patterns observed in wild populations. Litters consist of 1 to 4 young, with an average of 2 offspring per birth; the young are born altricial, hairless, and with closed eyes, weighing around 50-70 grams at birth. Females give birth in concealed nests, often constructed in tree hollows, dense foliage, or ground burrows, providing protection from predators. is provided exclusively by the , who nurses the young for approximately 3 months while remaining in close proximity to the nest site. The mother transports juveniles by mouth if the nest is disturbed and gradually introduces them to solid food as progresses, with independence achieved around 4-6 months of age. No paternal involvement in rearing has been documented in either captive or wild settings.

Conservation and human interactions

IUCN status and population dynamics

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) is classified as Least Concern on the , reflecting its broad distribution across from to and southward to and , where it inhabits diverse forested environments up to 2,500 m . This status is justified by the species' general commonality in suitable habitats, occurrence in multiple protected areas, and lack of identified major threats at a population-wide scale as of the 2015 assessment. Global population numbers remain unquantified, with no comprehensive estimates available, and current trends are documented as unknown. Local densities vary; for instance, in Gabon's rainforests, minimum averages are estimated at about 5 individuals per km² based on surveys. Field studies in southeastern reveal greater prevalence in intact River forests relative to deforested regions in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, indicating potential vulnerability to despite overall stability. The ' adaptability to and proximity to settlements may buffer declines in some areas, though bushmeat hunting and localized could exert pressure without altering the global assessment.

Major threats including habitat loss and exploitation

The African palm civet faces habitat loss primarily through driven by commercial logging, including large-scale oil palm plantations, and activities across its range in West and . These processes fragment forested habitats, reducing availability of arboreal refuges and foraging areas essential for the species' arboreal lifestyle. In regions like southeastern , ongoing habitat conversion has been documented to impact local distributions, though the species' adaptability to secondary forests mitigates broader declines. Exploitation via for represents a secondary threat, with the targeted for subsistence and commercial trade in urban markets, particularly in such as the . Carnivores like the African palm civet are hunted pervasively across forested for personal consumption and sale, with meta-analyses indicating widespread offtake rates that pressure local populations. Additional localised impacts stem from efforts, where individuals are killed near human settlements due to perceived crop raiding. Despite these pressures, the International Union for Conservation of Nature assesses the as Least Concern globally, attributing stability to its wide distribution and tolerance of habitat modification, though localised declines occur where threats intensify.

Conservation efforts and research developments

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its broad distribution across from to , adaptability to secondary forests and agricultural edges, and lack of documented population declines despite localized hunting and habitat pressures. This status, last formally assessed in 2015, indicates no immediate need for species-specific interventions, as off-take for and pelts does not appear to threaten overall viability. Conservation measures are indirect, primarily through general protection of tropical forests and savannas where the species persists; it inhabits numerous protected areas, including Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the and various reserves in and , which mitigate rates estimated at 0.5-1% annually in key ranges. No dedicated action plans or programs target the species, though broader initiatives in West and indirectly benefit it by addressing trade, which accounts for occasional captures but not population-level impacts. Research developments emphasize ecological surveys and range mapping over the past decade. Field studies in south-eastern (2013-2015) documented higher densities in intact forests compared to deforested zones, using market data and camera traps to estimate occurrence rates up to 20% in suitable s. A 2023 extension record in Mozambique's Zambezi Delta, via opportunistic sightings and modeling, expanded known southern limits by approximately 200 km, informing connectivity assessments in transboundary landscapes. Genetic analyses have explored island populations, such as on (), proposing potential subspecific differentiation (N. b. zanzibaricus) based on morphological and preliminary molecular data, which could guide localized monitoring if intensifies. Ongoing work in Island () reviews carnivore evidence, including palm civet scat and vocalizations, to refine inventories for reserve management. These efforts underscore knowledge gaps in and human-wildlife conflict, with calls for expanded camera-trap networks to quantify densities amid climate-driven shifts.

References

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  3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286403100_Nandinia_binotata_The_IUCN_Red_List_of_Threatened_Species_2015
  4. https://www.gbif.org/species/2433489
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  17. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240653870_A_new_range_record_for_the_African_palm_civet_Nandinia_binotata_Carnivora_Viverridae_from_Unguja_Island_Zanzibar
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  19. https://ascaris.org/uploads/s/8/e/d/8edzn3y4lrw0/file/7XYiQR7g.pdf
  20. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229472177_Proximity_in_a_Ghanaian_savanna_Human_reactions_to_the_African_palm_civet_Nandinia_binotata
  21. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6787825/
  22. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288834018_Distribution_habitat_ecology_and_conservation_status_of_the_Two-spotted_Palm_Civet_Nandinia_binotata_Carnivora_Nandiniidae_in_south-eastern_Nigeria
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  24. https://a-z-animals.com/animals/african-palm-civet/
  25. https://www.wildsolutions.nl/african-palm-civet/
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  28. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235277142500028X
  29. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/African-palm-civet-sold-as-bushmeat-in-the-Republic-of-the-Congo-Source-GIATOC-2020b_fig2_354756603
  30. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/local-hunting-of-carnivores-in-forested-africa-a-metaanalysis/69714D59961C234669C6D61D8BA62499
  31. https://www.africanparks.org/the-parks/odzala-kokoua/biodiversity-conservation
  32. https://www.wildsolutions.nl/wp-content/uploads/Butynski-Tom-CV-Part-II-List-of-Publications-Reports-Consultancies-1Nov2024.pdf
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