Common Palm Civet

DESCRIPTION
It is a small mammal with an elongated body with short legs and a tail almost as long as the rest of the body. He has big dark eyes and large pointed ears, plus a protruding prominent nose on his small face. They can be recognized by the dark stripes on their back and the three rows of black spots on each side of their bodies and covering its posterior extremities. Both males and females of this species have an odor gland under their tail that they use to defend themselves, to mark territory and for communication with other individuals of the species.
ETHOLOGY
The common palm civet is known for being nocturnal, arboreal and solitary. Civets use the odor marks of their anal glands to find a mate. In mating season they seek a den in the trees where they mate, give birth and care for their offspring. They have a gestation period of two months and produce a litter between two to five offspring.
CURIOSITIES
It is a species that is not in danger of extinction although in the areas it lives it is persecuted for the damage it causes on crops. It is also hunted by indigenous people who use their fat as ointment to cure scabies. The most expensive coffee in the world is prepared using coffee beans that have been ingested by the civet and are collected in their faeces.