Misplaced Pages

#294705

38-570: A civet ( / ˈ s ɪ v ɪ t / ) is a small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. The term civet applies to over a dozen different species, mostly from the family Viverridae . Most of the species's diversity is found in southeast Asia. Civets do not form a monophyletic group, as they consist only of certain members of the Viverridae, Eupleridae , and Nandiniidae . The African civet , Civettictis civetta , has historically been

76-540: A common ancestor who evolved to function as a nocturnal species, decreasing their eyesight in favor of a better sense of smell. The anomaly to this theory were anthropoids , who appeared to have the most divergence from nocturnality of all organisms examined. While most mammals did not exhibit the morphological characteristics expected of a nocturnal creature, reptiles and birds fit in perfectly. A larger cornea and pupil correlated well with whether these two classes of organisms were nocturnal or not. Being active at night

114-485: A decrease in mate calls and continued to move around instead of waiting for a potential mate to arrive. This hurts the overall fitness of the species, which is concerning considering the overall decrease in amphibian populations. Predation Some nocturnal predator-prey relationships are interrupted by artificial lighting. Bats that are fast-moving are often at an advantage with insects being drawn to light; they are fast enough to escape any predators also attracted to

152-418: A major effect on nocturnal animals, as well as diurnal species. The causes of these can be traced to distinct, sometimes overlapping areas: light pollution and spatial disturbance. Light pollution is a major issue for nocturnal species, and the impact continues to increase as electricity reaches parts of the world that previously had no access. Species in the tropics are generally more affected by this due to

190-633: A major source of energy. As human habitats have increased and expanded, civets have preyed on livestock and smaller domesticated animals, such as fowls, ducks, rabbits, and cats. Kopi luwak , called cà phê cứt chồn in Vietnam and Tagalog : kape alamid in the Philippines) is coffee that is prepared using coffee cherries that have been eaten and partly digested by the Asian palm civet and then harvested from its fecal matter. The civets digest

228-495: A number of threats to the different endangered species. Adults are likely to stay away from artificially lit beaches that they might prefer to lay eggs on, as there is less cover against predators. Additionally, baby sea turtles that hatch from eggs on artificially lit beaches often get lost, heading towards the light sources as opposed to the ocean. Rhythmic behaviors are affected by light pollution both seasonally and daily patterns. Migrating birds or mammals might have issues with

266-470: A relatively similar spatial habitat as they did before. In comparison, herbivorous prey tend to stay in areas where human disturbance is low, limiting both resources and their spatial habitat. This leads to an imbalance in favor of predators, who increase in population and come out more often at night. In zoos , nocturnal animals are usually kept in special night-illumination enclosures to invert their normal sleep-wake cycle and to keep them active during

304-870: A separate family Eupleridae , with other carnivorans of Madagascar. The Malagasy civet was to be placed in the subfamily Hemigalinae with the banded palm civets and then in its own subfamily, Fossinae, because of similarities with others in the group pointed out by Gregory , but it is now classified as a member of the subfamily Euplerinae , after Pocock pointed out more similarities with that one. Civets are also called toddy cats in English, marapaṭṭi ( മരപട്ടി ) in Malayalam , musang in Malay , Filipino, and Indonesian , and urulǣvā ( උරුලෑවා ) in Sinhalese . There can be confusion among speakers of Malay because

342-698: Is pollination - nocturnal pollinators such as moths, beetles, thrips, and bats have a lower risk of being seen by predators, and the plants evolved temporal scent production and ambient heat to attract nocturnal pollination. Like with predators hunting the same prey, some plants such as apples can be pollinated both during the day and at night. Nocturnality is a form of crypsis , an adaptation to avoid or enhance predation . Although lions are cathemeral , and may be active at any time of day or night, they prefer to hunt at night because many of their prey species ( zebra , antelope , impala, wildebeest , etc.) have poor night vision . Many species of small rodents, such as

380-450: Is a form of niche differentiation , where a species' niche is partitioned not by the amount of resources but by the amount of time (i.e. temporal division of the ecological niche ). Hawks and owls can hunt the same field or meadow for the same rodents without conflict because hawks are diurnal and owls are nocturnal. This means they are not in competition for each other's prey. Another niche that being nocturnal lessens competition within

418-410: Is avoiding the heat of the day. This is especially true in arid biomes like deserts , where nocturnal behavior prevents creatures from losing precious water during the hot, dry daytime. This is an adaptation that enhances osmoregulation . One of the reasons that ( cathemeral ) lions prefer to hunt at night is to conserve water. Hamiltons Frog , found on Stephens and Maud islands, stays hidden for

SECTION 10

#1732776494295

456-658: Is cruel to animals. Between these ethical concerns and the availability of synthetic substitutes, the practice of raising civets for musk is dying out. Chanel , maker of the popular perfume Chanel No. 5 , claims that natural civet has been replaced with a synthetic substitute since 1998. Viverrids are native to sub-Saharan Africa , Madagascar, the Iberian Peninsula , southern China, South and Southeast Asia. Favoured habitats include woodland, savanna, and mountain biome . In consequence, many are faced with severe loss of habitat; several species are considered vulnerable and

494-542: Is known as "zohamola" ( Assamese : জহামলা ) which literally means "to have zoha aromatic feces". In Maharashtra Marathi -speaking areas of India, civets are known as "Udmanjar" ( Marathi : उदमांजर ). In Kerala , the Malayalam speaking areas of India , the small Indian civet ( Viverricula indica ) is called "veruk" (വെരുക്‌). In adjoining coastal regions of Karnataka it is called 'beru'/ಬೆರು in kannada as also Tulu. 'Veruku' (வெருகு) in Tamil meant 'cat', particularly during

532-559: Is nonexistent. The Malayan civet is found in many habitats, including forests, secondary habitats, cultivated land, and the outskirts of villages, and is highly adaptable to human disturbances, including "selective logging" (partial forest removal). African civets ( Civettictis civetta) are listed as Least Concern, but in certain regions of Africa the population is declining due to hunting, direct and indirect poisoning, and an increase in large-scale farm fences that limit population flow. They are also seen as comparatively abundant options in

570-429: Is not needed anymore due to the evolution of compensatory sensory systems, such as a heightened sense of smell and more astute auditory systems. In a recent study, recently extinct elephant birds and modern day nocturnal kiwi bird skulls were examined to recreate their likely brain and skull formation. They indicated that olfactory bulbs were much larger in comparison to their optic lobes , indicating they both have

608-638: The Asian palm civet , Small indian civet and Golden palm civet species is known as "uguduwa" by the Sinhala-speaking community. The terms uguduwa and kalawedda are used interchangeably by the Sri Lankan community to refer to the same animal. However, the term kalawedda is mostly used to refer to another species in the civet family, the Golden palm civet . Sri Lanka also has an endemic civet species called golden palm civet . Recently this species

646-482: The Large Japanese Field Mouse , are active at night because most of the dozen or so birds of prey that hunt them are diurnal. There are many diurnal species that exhibit some nocturnal behaviors. For example, many seabirds and sea turtles only gather at breeding sites or colonies at night to reduce the risk of predation to themselves and/or their offspring. Nocturnal species take advantage of

684-464: The Mesozoic , many ancestors of modern-day mammals evolved nocturnal characteristics in order to avoid contact with the numerous diurnal predators. A recent study attempts to answer the question as to why so many modern day mammals retain these nocturnal characteristics even though they are not active at night. The leading answer is that the high visual acuity that comes with diurnal characteristics

722-606: The bushmeat trade. Masked palm civets sold for meat in local markets of Yunnan , China carried the SARS virus from horseshoe bats to humans, resulting in the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak . Civets are also raised in captivity by humans for two reasons. In Asia, they are raised to process coffee beans. In Ethiopia , they are raised in captivity to collect their perineal secretions, also called civet , to be used in making perfume. Palm civets often venture into cities and suburbs , with people often complaining about civet faeces and

760-494: The otter civet is classified as endangered. Some species of civet are very rare and elusive and hardly anything is known about them, e.g., the Hose's civet , endemic to the montane forests of northern Borneo , is one of the world's least known carnivores. Civets are unusual among feliforms, and carnivora in general, in that they are omnivores or even herbivores . Many species primarily eat fruit. Some also use flower nectar as

798-478: The Sangam period (~ 100 BCE to 400 CE). Civets have a broadly cat-like general appearance, though the muzzle is extended and often pointed, rather like that of an otter , mongoose or even possibly a ferret . They range in length from about 43 to 71 cm (17 to 28 in) (excluding their long tails) and in weight from about 1.4 to 4.5 kg (3 to 10 lb). The civet produces a musk (named civet after

SECTION 20

#1732776494295

836-475: The animal) which is highly valued as a fragrance and stabilizing agent for perfume. Both male and female civets produce the strong-smelling secretion, which is produced by the civet's perineal glands. It is harvested by either killing the animal and removing the glands, or by scraping the secretions from the glands of a live animal. The latter is the preferred method today. Animal rights groups, such as World Animal Protection , express concern that harvesting musk

874-408: The artificial lighting. Insects are the most obvious example, who are attracted by the lighting and are usually killed by either the heat or electrical current. Some species of frogs are blinded by the quick changes in light, while nocturnal migratory birds may be disoriented, causing them to lose direction, tire out, or be captured by predators. Sea turtles are particularly affected by this, adding to

912-428: The change in their relatively constant light patterns, but temperate species relying on day-night triggers for behavioral patterns are also affected as well. Many diurnal species see the benefit of a "longer day", allowing for a longer hunting period which is detrimental to their nocturnal prey trying to avoid them. Light pollution can disorient species that are used to darkness, as their adaptive eyes are not as used to

950-428: The cost. The increasing amount of habitat destruction worldwide as a result of human expansion has given both advantages and disadvantages to different nocturnal animals. As a result of peak human activity in the daytime, more species are likely to be active at night in order to avoid the new disturbance in their habitat. Carnivorous predators however are less timid of the disturbance, feeding on human waste and keeping

988-399: The daytime. Crepuscular species, such as rabbits , skunks , tigers and hyenas , are often erroneously referred to as nocturnal. Cathemeral species, such as fossas and lions , are active both in the day and at night. While it is difficult to say which came first, nocturnality or diurnality, a hypothesis in evolutionary biology , the nocturnal bottleneck theory, postulates that in

1026-532: The flesh of the coffee cherries but pass the beans inside, where stomach enzymes affect the beans. This adds to the coffee's prized aroma and flavor. About 0.5 kg (1 lb) can cost up to $ 600 in some parts of the world and about $ 100 a cup in others. This demand has led to civet farms on which the civets are fed a diet composed almost exclusively of such cherries, causing them to become severely malnourished. Farm conditions are also routinely described as deplorable. Filipino and Vietnamese oversight of these farms

1064-581: The hours when visitors will be there to see them. Hedgehogs and sugar gliders are just two of the many nocturnal species kept as ( exotic ) pets. Cats have adapted to domestication so that each individual, whether stray alley cat or pampered housecat, can change their activity level at will, becoming nocturnal or diurnal in response to their environment or the routine of their owners. Cats normally demonstrate crepuscular behavior, bordering nocturnal, being most active in hunting and exploration at dusk and dawn. Joha rice Joha ( zoha saul )

1102-501: The indigenous word musang has been mistakenly applied to foxes by printed media instead of rubah , which is the correct but lesser-known term. A minority of writers use civet to refer only to Civettictis , Viverra and Viverricula civets. However, in more common usage in English, the name also covers the civets of the viverrid genera Chrotogale , Cynogale , Diplogale , Hemigalus , Arctogalidia , Macrogalidia , Paguma and Paradoxurus . In Sri Lanka ,

1140-399: The light, leaving slow-moving bats at a disadvantage. Another example is harbor seals eating juvenile salmon that moved down a river lit by nearby artificial lighting. Once the lights were turned off, predation levels decreased. Many diurnal prey species forced into being nocturnal are susceptible to nocturnal predators and those species with poor nocturnal eyesight often bear the brunt of

1178-424: The lower light levels at night. More specifically, they have been found to have a larger cornea relative to their eye size than diurnal creatures to increase their visual sensitivity : in the low-light conditions. Nocturnality helps wasps , such as Apoica flavissima , avoid hunting in intense sunlight. Diurnal animals, including humans (except for night owls ), squirrels and songbirds, are active during

Civet - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-583: The main species from which a musky scent used in perfumery, also referred to as " civet ", was obtained. The common name is used for a variety of carnivoran mammal species, mostly of the family Viverridae . It is also used to refer to the African palm civet and the Malagasy civet . The African palm civet ( Nandinia binotata ) is genetically distinct and belongs in its own monotypic family, Nandiniidae . The Malagasy civet ( Fossa fossana ) belongs to

1254-408: The majority of the day when temperatures are warmer and are mainly active at night. They will only come out during the day if there are humid and cool conditions. Many plant species native to arid biomes have adapted so that their flowers only open at night when the sun's intense heat cannot wither and destroy their moist, delicate blossoms. These flowers are pollinated by bats, another creature of

1292-428: The night time to prey on species that are used to avoiding diurnal predators. Some nocturnal fish species will use the moonlight to prey on zooplankton species that come to the surface at night. Some species have developed unique adaptations that allow them to hunt in the dark. Bats are famous for using echolocation to hunt down their prey, using sonar sounds to capture them in the dark. Another reason for nocturnality

1330-428: The night. Climate-change and the change in global temperatures has led to an increasing amount of diurnal species to push their activity patterns closer towards crepuscular or fully nocturnal behavior. This adaptive measure allows species to avoid the heat of the day, without having to leave that particular habitat. The exponential increase in human expansion and technological advances in the last few centuries has had

1368-768: The noise of the animals' climbing on roofs. Some studies have been undertaken to examine and mitigate such human–animal conflict. In As You Like It , Act II, scene 2 (William Shakespeare, 1599), the civet cat is mentioned as the "uncleanly" source of courtiers' perfumes. Nocturnal Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed senses of hearing , smell , and specially adapted eyesight . Some animals, such as cats and ferrets , have eyes that can adapt to both low-level and bright day levels of illumination (see metaturnal ). Others, such as bushbabies and (some) bats , can function only at night. Many nocturnal creatures including tarsiers and some owls have large eyes in comparison with their body size to compensate for

1406-704: The timing of their movement for example. On a day-to-day basis, species can see significant changes in their internal temperatures, their general movement, feeding and body mass. These small scale changes can eventually lead to a population decline, as well as hurting local trophic levels and interconnecting species. Some typically diurnal species have even become crepuscular or nocturnal as a result of light pollution and general human disturbance. There have been documented effects of light pollution on reproductive cycles and factors in different species. It can affect mate choice , migration to breeding grounds, and nest site selection. In male green frogs , artificial light causes

1444-552: Was split into three separate endemic species as Paradoxurus montanus , P. aureus , and P. stenocephalus . In Bangladesh and Bengali -speaking areas of India, civets are known as "khatash" ( Bengali : খাটাশ ) for the smaller species and "bagdash" ( Bengali : বাগডাশ ) for the larger ones and is now extremely rare in Bangladesh (in the Khulna area of the country, the animal is also known as "shairel"). In Assamese this animal

#294705