CIVETS: TYPES, PERFUME, COFFEE, SARS, FARMS

CIVETS

Asian palm civet

Although civets are sometimes called civet cats they are not cats. They resemble weasels and are the largest and most doglike of the Viverridae family, which includes genets (See Below). Civets usually have a slender body and long tail and look sort of like a cross between a dog and an ocelot. They are related to cats and hyenas but are considered more primitive, with a longer snout and more teeth.

The term civet applies to over a dozen different mammal species. The greatest number of species is found in southeast Asia. The most well-known civet species is the African Civet, which historically has been the main species from which the musky civet scent used in perfumery has been obatined. The word civet may also refer to the distinctive musky scent produced by the animals. Some of the indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia, the Orang Asli, occasionally keep pet civets.

Civets will eat almost anything. Some like to eat snakes. They have an excellent sense of smell and hunt prey in stalking manner like a cat. Most members of the Viverridae family are solitary. The civets muzzle is extended and often pointed, rather like an otter or a mongoose. They range in length from about 43 to 71 centimeters (17 to 28 inches) (excluding their long tails) and in weight from about 1.4 to 4.5 kilograms (3 to 10 pounds).

Websites and Resources on Animals: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; BBC Earth bbcearth.com; A-Z-Animals.com a-z-animals.com; Live Science Animals livescience.com; Animal Info animalinfo.org ; World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worldwildlife.org the world’s largest independent conservation body; National Geographic National Geographic ; Endangered Animals (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) iucnredlist.org

Viverridae

The Viverridae family is a family of small to medium-sized, somewhat cat-like mammals, comprising 14 genera with 33 species, that includes genets and civets. Viverridae typically have a long body and tail, short legs, an elongated neck and head and a tapered snout. Most civets and genets have spots in longitudinal rows along the body. All species have scent glands in the anal region, and in civets these produce a substance used in perfumes. Some viverrids are carnivorous while others eat only fruit, even though they possess the teeth of a carnivore. Most are ominvorous, and eat small mammals and birds, lizards or invertebrates

Most members of the Viverridae family are solitary. Viverrids are native to Africa (except the area immediately south of the Mediterranean), Madagascar, the Iberian Peninsula, southern China, and South and Southeast Asia. Favored habitats include woodlands, savannas, and mountain biomes and, above all, tropical rainforests. As a consequence, many are faced with severe loss of habitat; several species are considered vulnerable and the Otter Civet is classified as endangered. Some species of civet are very rare and elusive and hardly anything is known about them. Hose's Civet, endemic to the montane forests of northern Borneo, is one of the world's least known carnivores. While the Viverridae family is a large group with many species, the habits of many species are poorly known.

Viverrids

The bodies of viverrids range from around 30 to 100 centimeters (12 to 39 inches) in length (excluding the tail, which is usually moderately long). Weights range from slightly less than one kilogram to 14 kilograms (2.2 to 31 pound. Phil Myers wrote in Animal Diversity Web: Most species have relatively small heads with short, pointed or semipointed, erect ears and a relatively long, pointed muzzle. Their eyes are of medium size. Most species have stripes, spots, or bands on their bodies, and their tails are often ringed with contrasting colors. Their claws can be retracted. Most have perianal (not anal) glands that produce a strong-smelling substance; in some species the odor is sufficiently potent to ward off predators. The secretion of these glands, called civet, is used as a perfume base and medicine. Male viverrids have a baculum. [Source:Phil Myers, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

The skull of most viverrids is long and flattened. The second lower incisor appears to be slightly out of (raised above) the line defined by the incisor row. The carnassials are well developed. Their last upper molar is not constricted in the middle, as it is in most members of the family Mustelidae. The dental formula is 3/3, 1/1, 3-4/3-4, 1-2/1-2 = 32-40. In the auditory bullae, the demarcation between ectotympanic and entotympanic parts of the bullae is clear, and in this family it is oblique to the long axis of the skull (it is perpendicular to that axis in members of the family Herpestidae). The ectotympanic part of the bullae is much smaller than the entotympanic part. Unlike the condition in herpestids, a median lacerate foramen is absent. /=\

Most viverrids are nocturnal (active at night), hunters, feeding on small vertebrates (including carrion), insects, and other invertebrates including worms, crustaceans, and molluscs. Some species are probably strictly carnivorous and have the reputation of fierce and effective predators; others also include fruit and roots in their diets. Sightings of most species usually involve one or at most two individuals; viverrids generally do not associate in larger groups. Most are strongly arboreal, but a few species seldom climb. One, the binturong, has a prehensile tail. Their senses of sight, smell, and hearing are all well developed. /=\

Civets Scents

Civets produce strong-smelling secretions with their perineal glands near their anuses. By combining secretions from their scent glands with urine and feces, palm civets mark their territories with a scent marking that is unique to each individual. Civets also spray this scent as self-defense against predators or intruders to their territory. Both sexes secrete their mixture onto the ground. Palm civet males wipe their hind legs in it and then rub the scent onto trees and rocks. Females drag their anus along the scent and spread it on the ground. [Source: Jonas Cox, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Malayan civet

David Attenborough wrote: “Smells in great variety and varying pungencies seem to dominate the world of the civets. They use it locate their food — whether it is the surging fragrance of distant ripening fruit or the infinitesimal whiff that a small rodent might have left in its footprints. But they too use smell to communicate within the group. The organ that produces these messages — their olfactory larynx as it is there — is a large pouch-like gland that lies between their anus and their genitals.”

“This produces an oily substance as thick as honey with a smell that, sampled in strength by the human nose, is so unpleasant to verge on nauseating. However it has a particular quality that is so highly valued by those who make perfumes for human use. The civet’s oil exalts other perfumes. It heightens them, retaining their volatile oils and releasing them so slowly that they linger for a long time. For this reason, humans have greatly valued civet oil for many centuries and have hunted civets entirely for the sake of it. Civets themselves smear their oil on their dunghills ad on rocks and branches in their territories as signs of ownership, warning others to keep out. Some merely bend their back legs and drag their rears along the ground. Others will stand on their hands in order to place their pungent posters as high as they can.”

Civets and Perfumes

The buttery, honey-like secretion produced by civets is prized as a fixative in perfumes. Most of the civets used in the perfume industry have traditionally been raised in captivity in Ethiopia. Concerns over the animals welfare and survival has meant that mostly synthetics are used today. The secretion is called civet. In large amounts it has a revolting fecal smell, but in small concentration it is said to have an attractive smell. Chanel No. 5 contained civet.

One of earliest use humans of palm civets was to use their sweet-smelling musk to conceal the smell of scabies, but now its sometimes used in perfumes. The 1925 version of Chanel No. 5 contained civet scent, but Chanel stopped using it in 1998 due to animal rights concerns. Chanel replaced civet with a synthetic version. Amouage Gold pour Femme, Calvin Klein Obsession, Cartier Le Must de Cartier and Dior La Collection Couturier Parfumeur Leather Oud contains civet scent. Civetone is a synthetic ingredient that mimics the musky scent of civet. It's derived from palm oil and is known for its strength. [Source: Google AI]

Both male and female civets produce the secretion used used in perfumes with their 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. To get civet oil from live animals, the scent gland must be scraped out with a special tool, which is a difficult task and if not done properly is painful for the civet. The musk can also be produced when the civet is harassed. Often, this industry is supported by trappers that go into the wild and capture wild civets to obtain their oil. Animal rights groups, such as the World Society for the Protection of Animals, express concern that harvesting musk is cruel to animals. These ethical concerns and the availability of synthetic substitutes has caused the practice of raising civets for musk to die out. [Source: Wikipedia]

Kopi Luwak — the Coffee Made with Civet Feces

Asian palm civets are used in the production of one of the world’s most expensive coffees — Kopi luwak, which is made from the pits of coffee cherries that the civets eat and sells for over $200 kilograms. Civets tend to only pick the best and ripest coffee cherries and the pit gains a unique "gamey" flavor after being passed through their digestion system.

Kopi Luwak is said to be the world’s rarest and most expensive coffee. It is brewed from beans hand-picked from civet dropping. The special gland that produces a scent coveted in the perfume industry also produced a scent desired by elite coffee drinkers. A cup of Kopi Luwak sold at Australia’s Heritage Tea Rooms for $42 a cup in the early 2010s. The estimated global production of Kopi Luwak at that time was only around 300 kilograms. [Source: Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Agence France-Presse, March 10, 2011]

The tradition of luwak coffee goes s back hundreds of years to the time of Dutch rule in Indonesia. Banned from their colonial masters' coffee crops, indigenous farmers took to collecting, cleaning and roasting undigested beans found in the forest-dwelling animals' droppings. "If luwak coffee is a car, then it must be a Rolls-Royce," says Indonesia's self-proclaimed "King of Luwak", Gunawan Supriad.

The civets play two roles. Firstly, they tend to choose the best berries to digest. Experts say wild civets are the most discerning, but their droppings are also the most difficult to harvest.Having nibbled off the thin outer layer of fruit, the civets put their digestive juices to work. The enzymes penetrate the beans — usually arabica in Sumatra — and change their chemical balance in subtle ways. The end product, after a good wash and light roasting, lacks the bitterness of ordinary coffee and has a unique, soft flavour.

Popularity of Kopi Luwak

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo of Agence France-Presse wrote: Supriadi is having a hard time keeping up with demand for the beans excreted by his stable of pampered civet "cats". And he's not alone. Demand for coffee brewed with beans plucked from the dung of the furry, weasel-like creatures — known locally as luwaks — is surging among well-healed connoisseurs around the world, exporters say. About 40 civets at Supriadi's plantation in West Lampung district, Sumatra, provide the intestinal machinery for his Raja Luwak (King of Luwak) brand of bean. Lampung is the undisputed capital of luwak coffee. [Source: Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Agence France-Presse, March 10, 2011]

civet-digested coffee beans

"My target is to have 150 civets soon because I have to meet the surge in demand," Supriadi said. "In 2008, I gathered about 50 kilograms of luwak beans and sold them to local distributors. In 2009, I sold 300 kilograms. In 2010, I sold 1.2 tons." The "golden droppings" of the luwak, or Asian palm civet, fetch up to $800 per kilogram (two pounds) in countries like the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. It's another story altogether at retail level. Single cups of the world's most expensive coffee have been known to sell for almost $100 in specialty outlets in London.

Indonesia is now the world's main producer of luwak coffee, but the industry has really only flourished in recent years and official export figures are hard to find. Retailers said demand was also high among status-conscious members of Indonesia's burgeoning middle class. In a country where around 40 percent of the population earns less than $2 a day, luwak coffee sells for about $8 a cup in up-market shopping malls. "I never used to like coffee at all, but after trying luwak coffee my world changed. I became addicted," Jakarta resident Galang Sulung Ramanda, 24, told AFP. "I also drink it for its health benefits. I heard that it can prevent asthma, Parkinson's, colon cancer and diabetes," he said.

Exporter Doni Irawan said his sales grew 50 percent in 2010. "It has become the prima donna of coffee due to its high price and limited supply. It keeps gaining new, dedicated fans," he said. The success of luwak coffee has given birth to a plethora of fake brands, which promise that special civet experience at half the usual price. Not to be outdone, Vietnamese entrepreneurs say they have developed a way to chemically treat regular beans to produce the same luwak taste.

Civet Farming

Civet farming is practiced in Vietnam, China, Indonesia and elsewhere. In China, masked palm civets are raised as farm animals mainly in the southern provinces for meat production. Local and nation governments don’t discourage the practice in part because it is way for poor, rual people to make some money.

In a study on civet farming in Vietnam, Save Vietnam Wildlife reported: Demand for wild meat (consumed as a luxury) and civet coffee (produced from coffee beans that have been partially digested and then excreted by civets) has driven the establishment of civet farms in South-east Asia, including in Vietnam. Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus is the main species kept in civet farms. Little is known about the impacts of these farms on wild civet populations.

In 2020, semi-structured interviews were used to explore the status and trade dynamics of 57 commercial civet farms in Lam Dong and Dak Lak provinces, Vietnam. Interviewees comprised civet farm owners as well as local government staff that were responsible for monitoring these facilities. Sixty four percent of interviewed farm owners reported restocking with wild caught civets. Sixty three percent reported disease as a cause of captive mortalities. At one facility, approximately 200 civets reportedly died in one mortality event because of an unknown disease. Twenty percent of the farms kept more civets than were legally registered. High mortality and low breeding success rates were reported by 74 percent of owners. Civet farms in these two provinces are an ongoing threat to wild civet populations and potentially also to public health. These facilities are probably beyond regulatory control. The commercial farming of civets for their meat and civet coffee production should be phased out to support conservation and as a zoonotic disease prevention measure.

Civets and SARS

In early January 2004, as part of the anti-SARS campaign, the government ordered the slaughter of all palm civets, hog badgers and racoon dogs in the Guangzhou area. Thousands were killed but many escaped because the were hidden by owners and animal traders. Chinese health officials in goggles, white smock and masks raided markets and breeding farms and seized animals that were killed by electrocution, boiled to death or drowned in disinfectant and then incinerated. A campaign to get rid of rats was also launched.

About 10,000 animals were killed, In addition to the cull, roadblocks were set up to make sure no one was smuggling animals out of the region. People who worked in the animal markets where civets were sold had their blood tested, sometimes several times. Those who hid animals were threatened with fines of up to $12,000.

The measure came eight months after palm civets, hog badgers and racoon dogs at a Guangzhou market had been found carrying a virus almost identical to SARS. Instead of acting quickly them, suspicions were raised about the quality of the data. Not long after the civet cull the ban on selling civets was lifted and markets were again filled with the animals. Many scientists believe the killing of all these animals may do more harm than good. Little is known about SARS and its transmission and studying these animals may provide some insights into the disease. There was little evidence that killing animals provided much help.

The SARS outbreak brought attention to the consumption in civet cat in Guangzhou Even after the SARS outbreak business was good at the First Village of Wild Food restaurant in Guangzhou. One customer who was eating civet cat told the New York Times, it tastes “very good, very good.” When asked if was worried about SARS he said, “It’s no big deal.”

Palm Civets

Palm civets are adaptable creature that lives in forests and woodlands, including those occupied by humans, in India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, southern China, the Philippines and Indonesia. They have a pale brown or gray coat with dark flank spots and black stripes on their back that are sometimes hard to see. Their forehead has a pale band running across. Their face has masked, polecat-like appearance. Palm civets measure 43 to 71 centimeters (17 to 28 inches) from head to rear end and has a bushy tail that is 40 to 66 centimeters (15.7 to 26 inches) long. They weigh 1.5 to 4.5 kilograms (3.3 to 10 pounds). Their claws are not retractile.

Paradoxurus is a genus of three species of palm civet Members found throughout Southeast Asia. native to Asia. Among their distinct features are a broad head with a narrow muzzle, large rounded ears, and a tail that is usually as long as their head and body combined. While other members of the Viverridae family usually live to be 5-15 years old in the wild, common palm civets have been known to live on average 15-20 years and even longer in captivity. Golden and brown palm civets on the other hand usually live around 10 years in the wild.[Source: Jonas Cox, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

brown palm civet

Other species of palm civet include:

Small-toothed palm civet (Arctogalidiatrivirgata)
Owston's palm civet (Chrotogaleowstoni)
Hose's palm civet (Diplogalehosei)
Banded palm civet (Hemigalusderbyanus)
Sulawesi palm civet (Macrogalidiamusschenbroekii)
Masked palm civet (Pagumalarvata)
African palm civet (Nandiniabinotata)

The most widespread species is the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), which has populations spanning from Pakistan and India to as far east as the Philippines. The other two species,the brown palm civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni) and the golden palm civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis), occupy more specific ranges. Brown palm civet live in the Western Ghats mountain range of southwest India. Golden palm civets live in Sri Lanka. /=\

Despite having few species, Paradoxurus can be found in a variety of habitats. Generally, they live mainly in trees and prefer areas with dense foliage for secluded shelter such as temperate and tropical forests. But they can also make their homes wherever food and trees are plentiful. Asian palm civets and brown palm civets often take up residence in human-developed places, such as parks, gardens, and plantations. The golden palm civet inhabits all of the varying regions of Sri Lanka ranging from dry scrublands to the rainy highlands. /=\

Palm Civet Characteristics and Diet

Palm civets tend to be small, with an average body length of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) and a tail length of an additional 40 centimeters (15.7 inches). They have been categorized as omnivores (eat a variety of things, including plants and animals), carnivores (eat meat or animal parts), insectivores (eat insects),molluscivores (eat mollusks), herbivores (primarily eat plants or plants parts), folivores (eat leaves), frugivores (eat fruits), granivores (eat seeds and grain) and nectarivores (eat nectar from flowers). Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is not present: Both sexes are roughly equal in size and look similar. [Source: Jonas Cox, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

banded palm civet

According to Animal Diversity Web: Palm civets have pointed snouts and elongated heads. They have black, gray, or brown coats, although this depends on the species. Brown palm civets have light or dark brown fur while golden palm civets have golden shade to their coat. Only common palm civets are black and gray. They are also the only species in Paradoxurus to have bands of white fur on their face similar to other species of civets in other families. Palm civets have feet well-adapted for living in trees. They have naked soles, a reduced first digit on both sets of feet, and traction pads on their hind feet. There are very few distinguishing features between males and females, but females do have two to three pairs of abdominal mammae and males possess a baculum, or penis bone. /=\

Plant matter makes up the bulk of the diets of many palm civets but the animals are truly omnivorous, eating whatever becomes available to them at the moment. Different species eat different amounts of plant and animal material. Brown palm civets are among the biggest herbivores in the entire Viverridae family for example. All species have unspecialized digestive systems though and can change their diet with ease. The fruits that palm civets often pick from are figs, chiku, mangoes, coffee, guava, rambutan, pineapples, bananas, cardamom, papayas, and pulpy berries.

Their favorite trees to feed from though are palm trees which gave them their common name palm civet. Asian palm civets have been found to feed on the sap and nectar of various native trees and eggs. When hunting, palm civets prey on small rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, moths, insects, millipedes, centipedes, arachnids, crustaceans, snails, shrews, worms, and eggs. Since palm civets are foragers and will often move around to find food whenever it’s scarce, they can often be found in urban areas such as gardens or plantations looking for food.

Palm civet sometimes feeds on rats and mice which they sometimes catch in homes or cellars. They sometimes eat and poultry and are particularly fond of figs, chiku, mango, rambutan and coffee. Ecologically, they fill a similar niche in Asia as Common Raccoons in North America. They also like to feed on palm flower sap, which when fermented becomes toddy, a sweet liquor. Because of this habit it is called the toddy cat. Civets play a role in the germination of the Pinanga kuhlii and P. zavana palm trees.[

Palm Civet Behavior and Reproduction

Palm civets are arboreal (live mainly in trees), scansorial (able to or good at climbing), nocturnal (active at night) and motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), sedentary (remain in the same area). All three species of palm civets are solitary outside of mating seasons and usually awaken at dusk and find a place to rest before dawn. Brown palm civets have been observed using the nests of Indian giant squirrels as day-beds. Palm civets seem to most active during darker nights, searching actively for food. If a place with lots of food is located they tend to stay there. Males are usually more active than females and can travel further in a night. While palm civets are good climbers, they are not particularly agile and move slower than other tree-dwelling animals. If cornered, some species have been known to fight and release a pungent chemical from their anal scent gland as defense. Palm civets are often found in palm trees in villages and towns, but also in many types of tree.. Their name is derived from their fondness of palms. [Source: Jonas Cox, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Palm civets sense using vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected with smell and communicate with vision and chemicals, leaving scent marks produced by special glands and placed so others can smell and taste them. Palm civets rely on their scent glands more than sounds to communicate. The only times palm civets are vocal are when they are being agitated. Males mark their surroundings with scent much more often than females will. Males and females have also been observed to use different methods of application for their scent markings. Civets are able to identify animal species, sex, and whether the animal that left the scent is known or unknown by smelling the anal gland secretions.

Little is known about the palm civets’ reproductive habits, but is thought that females give birth to three or four young per liter, possibly several times a year. Palm civets breed year round. Their gestation period is between 60 and 90 days depending on the species. Palm civets are altricial. This means that young are born relatively underdeveloped and are unable to feed or care for themselves or move independently for a period of time after birth. Young are born blind, but with hair, weighing only about 80 grams. Their eyes open after about two weeks; they are fully weaned by two months and become sexually mature about a year after birth. Parental care is provided by females. There is very little information on how palm civets raise their offspring as young do not leave their tree nest for the first two months of life.

Palm Civets. Threats and Humans

Palm civets often venture into urban and suburban environments, with people often complaining about civet feces or noise from the animals climbing on roofs. The palm civet often makes it home in the roofs of houses. Their sharp claws allow them to climb trees and house gutters. In most parts of Sri Lanka, palm civets are considered a nuisance since they litter in ceilings and attics of common households, and make loud noises fighting and moving about at night. Some studies have undertaken to examine and mitigate human-animal conflict in these cases. [Source: Jonas Cox, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

People have kept palm civets as ratcatchers since they are known to eat rodents in the wild. One of the biggest problem with these animals for humans is that they raid plantations and orchards for fruit. All three species of palm civet are considered species of Least Concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Being highly adaptable makes up for the loss of their natural habitat. Palm civets are sometimes killed because they are crop pests. Golden palm civets are know to carry rabies and killed to prevent that disease from spreading.

The main natural predators of palm civets are large cats such as tigers, leopards and clouded leopards, pythons and large raptors such as black eagles, which are agile and strong enough to fly into a tree and carry a civet away.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, CNN, BBC, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated January 2025