Common Genet
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 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 43-55 cm long with a tail measuring 33-52 cm. Males weigh an average of 2 kg 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
Habitat
In North Africa, the common genet occurs along the western Mediterranean coast, and in broadband 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 shelters such as rocky terrain with caves and dense scrubland, but also come close to settlements and agricultural land.
It is common in Morocco, but rare in Libya, Egypt and Zambia.[3] In South Africa, it is common in west-central KwaZulu-Natal, in the Cape Province, and in QwaQwa National Park in the Free State province.
It was brought to the Mediterranean region from Maghreb as a semi-domestic animal about 1,000 to 1,500 years ago. It spread from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balearic Islands and southern France. In Italy, individuals were sighted in mountainous areas in the Piedmont region and in the Aosta Valley. Individuals sighted in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands are considered to have escaped or been released from captivity. In southwestern Europe, they thrive in oak and pine forests, but also live in olive groves, riparian zones, ash groves, rocky areas, and shrublands. They are rare in open areas, marshes, and cereal croplands. Despite their abundance along watercourses, the presence of water is not considered essential. It prefers to live in areas with dense vegetation, such as bushes, thickets, and evergreen oak forests. As resting sites, it uses trees with dense foliage in the canopy and dense thickets overgrown with climbing plants. In northern areas, it prefers low altitudes with high temperatures and low rainfall. In the Manzanares Park in central Spain, it lives foremost in areas of 1,000–1,200 m elevation with lots of rocks and shrubs. It tolerates proximity to settlements. The common genet and wood mouse share the same habitats and niches, specifically Mediterranean forests. In the East Sudanian Savanna, it was recorded in the transboundary Dinder–Alatash protected area complex during surveys between 2015 and 2018. In northern Ethiopia, it was recorded in the mountainous Degua Tembien district
Diet
Common genets, being carnivorous, eat most small animals they are able to catch, such as mice, rats, insects, birds and small reptiles.
Breeding
Little is known about the mating system of Common genets. The breeding season varies according to the region. In east, west and southern Africa, Common genets breed in the wet seasons. In Europe and North Africa, they breed in spring and autumn. Typically between one and four young are born, after a gestation period of about ten to eleven weeks. The young are blind and helpless when they are born. They start to eat meat at about seven weeks old, being fully weaned by four months old. At five months, they are skilled enough to hunt on their own. At 19 months old, the young start marking, and they are thought to be sexually mature when two years old.
Population
Common genet is one of the most common and widely distributed small carnivores in its native range in Africa. In Europe, this species is moderately abundant. But no estimate of population size is available for this species. Currently, the Common genet is classified by the ICUN as Least Concern (LC) and its numbers today remain stable.
Threats
The Common genet is currently not considered to be under serious threat. However, it is commonly hunted for its attractive fur in many countries, and in some areas is also hunted to be used in traditional ‘medicines’. Clearing of woodland for development may have some impact on this species, and domestic dogs kill them.
Conservation
It is present in many protected areas across its range. This species is listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention, as well as EU Habitats and Species Directive, Annex V. Protected by national law in some range states (e.g., Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia).