Misplaced Pages

Rusty-spotted genet
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Viverridae
Genus:	Genetta
Species:	G. maculata
Binomial name
Genetta maculata (Gray, 1830)
Rusty-spotted genet range

The rusty-spotted genet (Genetta maculata), 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.

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).

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.

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. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several taxonomists proposed the following species and subspecies for specimens obtained by natural history museums:

• fieldiana Du Chaillu, 1860
• aequatorialis Heuglin, 1866
• erlangeri, gleimi, schraderi, stuhlmanni, suahelica, zambesiana Matschie, 1902
• matschiei Neumann, 1902
• pumila Hollister, 1916
• insularis Cabrera, 1921
• rubiginosa zuluensis Roberts, 1924
• soror Schwarz, 1929
• rubiginosa albiventris Roberts, 1932
• deorum Funaioli and Simonetta, 1960
• pardina schoutedeni Crawford-Cabral, 1970

Genetta letabae (Thomas and Schwann, 1906), formerly considered a subspecies, is now thought to be a separate species.

References

1. ^ 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.
2. ^ 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. doi:10.3406/revec.2000.2314.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Neumann, O. R. (1902). "Über einige neue Arten der Ginsterkatzen". Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin. 8: 181–184.
10. Hollister, N. (1916). "Descriptions of a new genus and eight new species and subspecies of African mammals" (PDF). Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 66: 1−8.
11. Cabrera, A. (1921). "Algunos carnívoros africanos nuevos". Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural. 21: 261−264.
12. Roberts, A. (1924). "Some additions to the list of South African mammals" (PDF). Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 10 (2): 59−76.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. Funaioli, U.; Simonetta, A.M. (1960). "Spedizione biologica in Somalia, 1959. Risultati zoologici. Carnivora". Monitore Zoologico Italiano. 68: 58−79.
16. Crawford-Cabral, J. (1970). "As genetas da Africa Central". Boletim do Instituto de Investigação Científica de Angola. 7: 3–23.
17. 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.
18. 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.

This article about a carnivoran is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• IUCN Red List least concern species
• Genets (animals)
• Mammals of Sub-Saharan Africa
• Mammals described in 1830
• Taxa named by John Edward Gray
• Carnivora stubs