About Musangs

Bindi is a 2 mo.old rescued Masked Palm civet

The scientific name for this animal is Paradoxorus Philippinensi or commonly called the Musang or Masked Asian Palm civet.











Information below is from this URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_palm_civet

The Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), also called toddy cat, is a small member of the Viverridaefamily native to South and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified the species as Least Concern as it is tolerant of a broad range of habitats, is widely distributed with large populations that are unlikely to be declining.

The Asian palm civet is a small, mottled gray and black viverrid weighing 2 to 5 kg (4.4 to 11 lb). It has a body length of about 53 cm (21 in) with a 48 cm (19 in) long tail. Its long, stocky body is covered with coarse, shaggy hair that is usually greyish in color. There is a white mask across the forehead, a small white patch under each eye, a white spot on each side of the nostrils, and a narrow dark line between the eyes. The muzzle, ears, lower legs, and distal half of the tail are black, with three rows of black markings on the body. The tail is without rings, unlike in similar civet species. Anal scent glands emit a nauseating secretion as a chemical defense when threatened or upset.^[3] Despite its species namehermaphroditus, the civets (like all other mammals) have two distinct sexes and are not hermaphrodites.

Feeding and diet

The Asian palm civet is an omnivore utilizing fruits such as berries and pulpy fruits as a major food source, and thus help to maintain tropical forest ecosystems via seed dispersal.^[4] They eat chiku, mango, rambutan and coffee, but also small mammals and insects. Ecologically, they fill a similar niche in Asia as Common Raccoons in North America.^[5] It also feeds on palm flower sap, which when fermented becomes toddy, a sweet liquor. Because of this habit it is called the toddy cat. It plays a role in the germination of the Pinanga kuhlii and P. zavana palm trees

Behavior

The Asian palm civet is believed to lead a solitary lifestyle, except for brief periods during mating. It is both terrestrial and arboreal, showing nocturnal activity patterns with peaks between late evening until after midnight.^[4] It is usually active between 6:00 pm and 4:00 am, being less active during nights when the moon is brightest.^[5]

It performs scent marking using anal glands, urine, and feces. The most common marking behavior is dragging the anal glands on a surface to leave a scent. It is able to identify animal species, sex, and whether the animal that left the scent is known or unknown by smelling an anal scent secretion.