Welcome to the start of another wonderful week of Wild Facts! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and maybe even had a chance to interact with nature. Unfortunately, I spent most of my weekend hidden away in my office working but that is okay since I get to bond with nature right now as we travel to Africa to learn about the amazing African Civet. You will notice by the picture above that they are a beautiful creature that looks like nothing else out there. Okay, well maybe they look like a cross between a cat, a weasel and a raccoon but that animal doesn’t actually exist, does it?
Well, the African Civet may look and act like a cat, however, they are not even closely related to our furry, feline friends. Really, they aren’t closely related to anything but if you had to pick an animal….well they would relate more with weasels and the mongoose. Now that is a big weasel! Just how big? The African Civet can get up to 1.3 m (4.6′) long and can weigh up to a mere 4.5 kg (10 lbs) so they are not the largest animal out there; however, they are the largest civet-like animal in Africa. I am not sure how many civet-like animals there are so that may not be much of an accomplishment.
As you might expect for a cat….errrr….weasel-like animal, the African Civet is a solitary creature that only comes out to play once the sun goes down. Once the night falls, the small animals such as lizards, rodents, snakes and frogs had better be on high alert since this voracious predator is looking for them. If they can’t find any good animals to eat the African Civet will rely on a healthy diet of berries and other fruit to satisfy their hunger. During the day, the small animals are safe (well, from this one predator) as this Civet will relax in the trees hidden from any potential predators. I just get the picture of an African Civet sprawled out in a hammock high above the ground. Now that is the life!
African Civet Fast Fact – Although they are solitary animals, the African Civet has been known to gather in groups as large as 15 members during the mating season. I am willing to bet that everyone of these introverts are stressed out and in need of a solitary holiday by the time mating season ends.
Well that does it for the first fact of the week. If you come back tomorrow, you will get to read the second amazing Wild Fact for this week. I know you can’t wait so I will see you tomorrow!
