From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Species of carnivore
The rusty-spotted genet (Genetta maculata ),
[2] also called panther genet and large-spotted genet , is a
genet that is widely distributed in
sub-Saharan Africa . It is considered common and therefore listed as
Least Concern on the
IUCN Red List .
[1]
Characteristics
The rusty-spotted genet has short whitish grey to pale yellow coloured fur with dark spots and a continuous dark line across the back. The spots of the upper two dorsal rows are round or square, brown in the center and darker outside. In head-to-body length it ranges from 42 to 52 cm (17 to 20 in). Its 40 to 53 cm (16 to 21 in) long tail is ringed and has a dark tip. Its feet are of the same colour as the fur. It weighs from 1.3 to 3 kg (2.9 to 6.6 lb).
[3]
Behaviour and ecology
Research in southeastern
Nigeria revealed that the rusty-spotted genet has an
omnivorous diet. It feeds on
rodents like
giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ),
Nigerian shrew (Crocidura nigeriae ),
Temminck's mouse (Mus musculoides ),
Tullberg's soft-furred mouse (Praomys tulbergi ),
Peters's striped mouse (Hybomys univittatus ),
typical striped grass mouse (Lemniscomys striatus ),
red-eyed dove (Streptopelia semitorquata ),
common agama (Agama agama ),
Mabuya skinks,
Myriapoda ,
spiders ,
Orthoptera and
Coleoptera as well as eggs, fruits, berries and seeds.
[4]
Taxonomy
In 1830,
John Edward Gray first
described a rusty-spotted genet using the name Viverra maculata based on a
zoological specimen that lived in the
menagerie at the
Tower of London .
[5]
In the 19th and 20th centuries, several taxonomists proposed the following
species and
subspecies for specimens obtained by
natural history museums :
[2]
fieldiana
Du Chaillu , 1860
[6]
aequatorialis
Heuglin , 1866
[7]
erlangeri , gleimi , schraderi , stuhlmanni , suahelica , zambesiana
Matschie , 1902
[8]
matschiei
Neumann , 1902
[9]
pumila
Hollister , 1916
[10]
insularis
Cabrera , 1921
[11]
rubiginosa zuluensis
Roberts , 1924
[12]
soror
Schwarz , 1929
[13]
rubiginosa albiventris Roberts, 1932
[14]
deorum Funaioli and Simonetta, 1960
[15]
pardina schoutedeni Crawford-Cabral, 1970
[16]
Genetta letabae (
Thomas and Schwann, 1906),
[17] formerly considered a subspecies, is now thought to be a separate species.
[18]
References
^
a
b Angelici, F.M.; Gaubert, P.; Do Linh San, E. (2016).
"Genetta maculata " .
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 : e.T41699A45218948.
doi :
10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41699A45218948.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021 .
^
a
b
Wozencraft, W. C. (2005).
"Genetta maculata " . In
Wilson, D. E. ; Reeder, D. M. (eds.).
Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 556.
ISBN
978-0-8018-8221-0 .
OCLC
62265494 .
^ Gaubert, P.; Taylor, P. J. & Veron, G. (2005).
"Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta ): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in Africa" (PDF) . In Huber, B. A.; Sinclair, B. J. & Lampe, K.-H. (eds.). African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology . Bonn: Museum König. pp. 371–383.
^ Angelici, F. M. (2000).
"Food habits and resource partitioning of carnivores (Herpestidae, Viverridae) in the rainforests of southeastern Nigeria: preliminary results" (PDF) . Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et la Vie) . 55 : 67–76.
^ Gray, J. E. (1830).
"Fam. Felidae. Gen. Viverra" . Spicilegia zoologica; or, original figures and short systematic descriptions of new and unfigured animals . London: Treüttel, Würtz. p. 9.
^ Du Chaillu, P. (1860).
"Descriptions of five new species of mammals discovered in western equatorial Africa" . Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History . 7 (29): 298−304.
^ Heuglin, T. (1866).
"Genetta aequatorialis Heugl" . Systematische Übersicht der Säugethiere Nordost-Afrika's mit Einschluss der arabischen Küste, des rothen Meeres, der Somáli-und der Nilquellen-Länder, südwärts bis zum vierten Grade nördlicher Breite . Wien: Kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften. p. 23.
^ Matschie, P. (1902).
"Über die individuellen und geographischen Abänderungen der Ginsterkatzen" . In Matschie, P. (ed.). Verhandlungen des V. Internationalen Zoologen-Congresses . Jena: Gustav Fischer. pp. 1128–1144.
^ Neumann, O. R. (1902).
"Über einige neue Arten der Ginsterkatzen" . Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin . 8 : 181–184.
^ Hollister, N. (1916).
"Descriptions of a new genus and eight new species and subspecies of African mammals" (PDF) . Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections . 66 : 1−8.
^ Cabrera, A. (1921).
"Algunos carnívoros africanos nuevos" . Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural . 21 : 261−264.
^ Roberts, A. (1924).
"Some additions to the list of South African mammals" (PDF) . Annals of the Transvaal Museum . 10 (2): 59−76.
^ Schwarz, E. (1929). "On two new genets from the upper Congo". Annals and Magazine of Natural History . Series 10. 3 (13): 47−48.
doi :
10.1080/00222932908672935 .
^ Roberts, A. P. (1932).
"reliminary description of fifty-seven new forms of South African mammals" (PDF) . Annals of the Transvaal Museum . 15 (1): 1−19.
^ Funaioli, U.; Simonetta, A.M. (1960). "Spedizione biologica in Somalia, 1959. Risultati zoologici. Carnivora". Monitore Zoologico Italiano . 68 : 58−79.
^ Crawford-Cabral, J. (1970). "As genetas da Africa Central". Boletim do Instituto de Investigação Científica de Angola . 7 : 3–23.
^ Thomas, O.; Schwann, H. (1906).
"The Rudd exploration of South Africa. − V. List of mammals obtained by Mr. Grant in North East Transvaal" . Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London : 575−591.
^ Gaubert, P.; Taylor, P. J. & Veron, G. (2005).
"Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta ): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in Africa" (PDF) . In Huber, B. A.; Sinclair, B. J. & Lampe, K.-H. (eds.). African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology, Museum König, Bonn . Springer. pp. 371–383.