Striped civet  (Fossa fossana)

Description

The striped civet is a Malagasy civet, which is sufficiently different to the civets found on mainland Africa that it is placed in a unique subfamily, the Eupleninae, along with another Madagascan civet, the fanalouc (Eupleres goudotii) (2). The striped civet is the only member of the genus Fossa, and is about the size of a domestic cat, with a stocky body, short, thin legs and a fox-like pointed muzzle. The short, dense coat is light brown with grey around the head and on the back (4) (2). There are four rows of dark spots along the flanks (4), which can blend to form short stripes; the thighs may also feature a few dark spots. The underparts do not tend to have markings, and are pale cream or white in colour (2). Vocalisations include a range of cries and groans, as well as a typical ‘coq-coq’, which is only produced when in the presence of more than one individual (5).

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