Viverridae
Viverridae is a family of carnivorous mammals that includes civets, genets, and linsangs. Its species are native mainly to Africa and Asia.
Feliformia: A suborder of carnivorous mammals that includes cats, hyenas, mongooses, and civets. Viverridae belongs to this branch of the order Carnivora.
African civet: A large nocturnal viverrid of sub-Saharan Africa, known for its bold black-and-white pattern. It is a widespread, distinctive member of Viverridae.
Civet musk: A fragrant secretion from glands of some civets, historically used in perfumery. The African civet was once commercially harvested for this secretion.
Herpestidae: A family of carnivorous mammals that includes mongooses and meerkats. Mongooses resemble some viverrids but belong to a separate feliform family.
Molecular phylogenetics: The study of evolutionary relationships using DNA and other molecular data. Genetic evidence has reshaped relationships among viverrids and other feliforms.
Carnivora: An order of mammals that includes cats, dogs, bears, seals, and their relatives. Viverridae is one family within this diverse mammalian order.
Common genet: A slender, spotted viverrid found across much of Africa and parts of southwestern Europe. Its climbing ability and varied diet illustrate the family’s ecological breadth.
Kopi luwak: Coffee made from beans eaten and excreted by Asian palm civets. The product links a viverrid’s feeding behavior to a controversial luxury trade.
Nandiniidae: A family containing the African palm civet, Nandinia binotata, the sole living species. Despite its common name, the African palm civet is not classified in Viverridae.
Taxonomy: The science of naming, describing, and classifying organisms. Species boundaries and family relationships remain subjects of taxonomic research.