小斑獛种

外形特征

小斑獛的身型修长，体态神似家猫。它们的头部较小，口鼻部尖细，拥有一双大大的椭圆形耳朵、明亮的眼睛，以及长达 7 公分的发达胡须。四肢偏短，足部与猫科动物相似，爪子具有半伸缩性。

小斑獛的毛发浓密且柔软，底毛呈淡灰色，全身布满醒目的黑色斑纹。背部和身体两侧约有五排黑色斑点，一条明显的黑线从肩膀顺着脊椎中央一路延伸到臀部。它们的额头上也有一道黑条纹，双眼下方有深色斑块，与下巴和喉部的白色毛发形成鲜明对比。其尾巴带有黑白相间的环状条纹，数量约 8 到 13 环不等。

生态与习性

小斑獛是独居动物，成年个体主要在夜间和黎明黄昏时段活动，太阳刚下山及日出前是它们的活动高峰期，而幼崽有时也会在白天活动。它们白天习惯躲在树洞或茂密的灌木丛中睡觉，而且有重返同一个栖息地休息的习惯。

研究发现，雄性的活动量普遍高于雌性，尤其在冬季和春季。春季期间，由于进入交配季节，无论雄性或雌性都会变得更加活跃，活动范围也会扩大，以便寻找配偶和摄取更多能量。雄性的年平均家域（活动范围）约为 113 公顷，雌性则约为 72 公顷。

小斑獛的食性非常杂，食物清单包括小型哺乳动物（其中小林姬鼠是它们的最爱）、蜥蜴、鸟类及鸟蛋、两栖动物、蜈蚣、马陆、蝎子、昆虫，以及无花果和橄榄等水果。它们主要依靠灵敏的嗅觉来锁定猎物，捕杀猎物时会像猫一样咬住对方的脖子。

在非洲，小斑獛的天敌包括非洲豹、薮猫、狞猫、蜜獾以及大型猫头鹰；在欧洲，赤狐和苍鹰也对它们构成潜在威胁。

The common genet (Genetta genetta) is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coast of Arabia, Yemen and Oman. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Characteristics

The common genet has a slender, cat-like body, a small head with a pointed muzzle, large oval ears, large eyes and well-developed whiskers up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in length. Its legs are short, with cat-like feet and semi-retractile claws. Its fur is dense and soft, and the coat is pale grey, with numerous black markings. The back and flanks are marked with about five rows of black spots, and a long black stripe runs along the middle of the back from the shoulders to the rump. There is also a black stripe on the forehead, and dark patches beneath the eyes, which are offset against the white fur of the chin and throat. The tail is striped, with anything from eight to thirteen rings along its length. Its body is 43 to 55 cm (17 to 22 in) long with a 33 to 52 cm (13 to 20 in) long tail. Males weigh an average of 2 kg (4.4 lb) and are about 10% larger than females. It has an erectile crest of hair from the shoulder to the base of the tail, a white tail tip and black hind feet.

Distribution and habitat

In North Africa, the common genet occurs along the western Mediterranean coast, and in a broad band from Senegal and Mauritania in the west throughout the savannah zone south of the Sahara to Somalia and Tanzania in the east. On the Arabian Peninsula, it was recorded in coastal regions of Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman. Another discontinuous population inhabits Southern Africa, from southern Angola across Zambia, Zimbabwe to Mozambique. It inhabits a wide range of deciduous and evergreen habitats that provide plentiful shelter such as rocky terrain with caves and dense scrub land, but also come close to settlements and agricultural land.

The common genet is common in Morocco and Algeria, but rare in Libya, Egypt and Zambia. In South Africa, it was commonly seen in west-central KwaZulu-Natal in the 1970s, in the Cape Province, and in QwaQwa National Park in the Free State province.

Ecology and behaviour

The common genet is solitary. Adults are nocturnal and crepuscular, with their highest levels of activity following sunset and just prior to sunrise; juveniles may be active during the day. They rest during the day in hollow trees or among thickets, and frequently use the same resting sites.

During a study in northeastern Spain, males have been found to be more active than females at night because of their greater size, which indicates that males have greater energy requirements to satisfy their physiological needs. Females typically weigh less, and they have been found to be less active overall. Females' home ranges are also smaller than those of males. Males had a mean annual home range of 113 ha (280 acres), and females of 72 ha (180 acres). While males have larger home ranges in all seasons, the differences between males' and females' territories are most significant during the winter.

Threats and conservation

No major threats to common genets are known. In North Africa and some localities in southern Africa, they are hunted for their fur. In Portugal, they get killed in predator traps. On Ibiza, urbanization and development of infrastructure cause loss and fragmentation of habitat.

Genetta genetta is listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention and in Annex V of the Habitats and Species Directive of the European Union.

Taxonomy

Viverra genetta was the scientific name proposed by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.

More than 30 subspecies of the common genet have been described. The following are considered valid:

• G. g. genetta (Linnaeus), 1758 – Spain, Portugal and France
• G. g. afra (Cuvier), 1825 – North Africa
• G. g. senegalensis (Fischer), 1829 – sub-Saharan Africa
• G. g. dongolana (Hemprich and Ehrenberg), 1832 – Arabia

Genetta felina has been reclassified as a species based on morphological diagnoses comparing 5500 Viverrinae specimens in zoological collections.

Along with other viverrids, genets are among living carnivorans considered to be the morphologically closest to the extinct common ancestor of the whole order.