Golden palm civet: Difference between revisions

| status = VULC

| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Paradoxurus zeylonensis'' |name-list-style=amp |author=Duckworth, J. W. |author2=Mudappa, D. |author3=Pethiyagoda, R. |author4=Woolgar, J. |author5=de Silva Wijeyeratne, G. |author6=Hall, J. |yeardate=2016 |page=e.T41694A45218119 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41694A45218119.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>

The '''golden palm civet''' ('''''Paradoxurus zeylonensis''''') is a [[palm civetviverridae|viverrid]] [[endemism|endemic]] to [[Sri Lanka]]. It is listed as [[Vulnerable species|Vulnerable]] on the [[IUCN Red List]]. Its distribution is severely fragmented, and the extent and quality of its habitat in Sri Lanka's hill regions are declining.<ref name=iucn />

The golden palm civet was described by [[Peter Simon Pallas]] in 1778.<ref name=Pallas1778>{{cite book |author=Pallas, P. S. |year=1778 |chapter=Der Boshond |page=451 |editor=Schreber, J. C. D. |chapterurlchapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/SaYugthiereAbbiIIISchr#page/450/mode/2up |title=Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen |location=Erlangen |publisher=Wolfgang Walther}}</ref>

''Viverra zeylonensis'' was the [[scientific name]] proposed by [[Peter Simon Pallas]] in 1778 for a palm civet specimen from Sri Lanka.<ref name=Pallas1778/> Between the 19th and early 21st centuries, several [[zoological specimens]] were described, including:

*''Paradoxurus aureus'' by [[Frédéric Cuvier]] in 1822<ref name=Cuvier>{{cite journal |author=Cuvier, F. |date=1822 |url=https://archive.org/stream/mmoiresdumus91822mus#page/n55/mode/2up |title=Du genre Paradoxure et de deux espèces nouvelles qui s’ys'y rapportent |journal=Mémoires du Muséum d’Histoired'Histoire Naturelle Paris |volume=9 |pages=41–48}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=Cuvier, G. |author2=Griffith, E. |year=1827 |title=The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization with supplementary additions to each order |volume=Volume 2 |location=London |publisher=G.B. Whittaker |pages= |chapter= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13pIAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA418#v=onepage&f=false}}</ref>

*''Paradoxurus montanus'' by [[Edward Frederick Kelaart]] in 1852 who described a fulvous brown palm civet from the mountains of Sri Lanka, which he considered a variety of the golden palm civet.<ref>{{cite book |author=Kelaart, E.F. |year=1852 |title=Prodromus faunae zeylanicae : being contributions to the zoology of Ceylon |chapter=''Paradoxurus zeylanica'' |pages=39–41 |publisher=Kelaart, E.F. |location=Ceylon |chapterurlchapter-url=https://archive.org/details/prodromusfaunaez00kela/page/n87/mode/2up}}</ref>

*''Paradoxurus stenocephalus'' by [[Colin Groves]] and colleagues in 2009 who described a golden brown specimen from Sri Lanka's dry zone. They proposed to regard ''P. montanus'', ''P. aureus'' and ''P. stenocephalus'' as distinct species based on coat colour and [[skull]] measurements of specimens.<ref name=Grovesgroves09>{{cite journal |author=Groves, C. P. |author2=Rajapaksha, C. |author3=Mamemandra-Arachchi, K. |title=The taxonomy of the endemic golden palm civet of Sri Lanka |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=155 |pages=238–251 |year=2009 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00451.x |url=http://www.lakdasun.org/forum/doc_base/endemic_golden_palm_civet_of_sri_lanka.pdf}}</ref>

Genetic analysis indicates that specimens of ''P. montanus'', ''P. aureus'' and ''P. stenocephalus'' share the same [[haplotype]]. Because of their low genetic difference, they should neither be considered distinct species nor subspecies, but [[junior synonym]]s of the golden palm civet.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Veron |first1=G. |last2=Patou |first2=M.-L. |last3=Tóth |first3=M. |last4=Goonatilake |first4=M. |last5=Jennings |first5=A. P. |year=2015 |title=How many species of ''Paradoxurus'' civets are there? New insights from India and Sri Lanka |journal=Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=161–174 |doi=10.1111/jzs.12085 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267696617|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The golden palm civet is gold to golden brown on the upper side, butand paler gold on the belly.<ref name=Cuvier/> individuallyIndividuals variablevary from dark sepia to ochreous, rusty or golden-brown. The tips of the contour hairs are frequently lustrous, sometimes greyish. The legs are about the same tint as the back, but the tail and the face are sometimes noticeably paler, buffy-grey. The face does not have a pattern, and the [[vibrissae]] are dirty white. The hair in front of the shoulders radiates from two [[Hair whorl|whorls]] and grows forward along the sides of the neck and the nape to the head. It also grows forward on the fore throat, radiating from a single whorl. The dorsal pattern consists of faint bands and spots that are slightly darker than the ground colour. The lower side is slightly paler and sometimes greyer than the upper.<ref name=Pocock1939>{{cite book |author=Pocock, R. I. |year=1939 |title=The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma |volume=Volume 1. Mammalia |publisher=Taylor and Francis |location=London |chapter=''Paradoxurus zeylonensis'' |pages=381–383 |chapterurlchapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/PocockMammalia1/pocock1#page/n465/mode/2up}}</ref>

The golden palm civet has two morphs — one golden and one dark brown. Specimens from montane areas are darker, slightly greyish-toned wood-brown, and paler on the underside with a yellowish-white tail tip.<ref name=groves09/>

The golden palm civet is found ininhabits lowland [[rain forest]], montane [[evergreen mountain forestsforest]]s, and also dense monsoon forest.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Schreiber, A., |name-list-style=amp |author2=Wirth, R., |author3=Riffel, M. and |author4=Van Rompaey, H. (|year=1989). ''|title=Weasels, civets, mongooses, and their relatives''. An Action Plan for the conservation of mustelids and viverrids. IUCN, |location=Gland, Switzerland. |publisher=IUCN Small Carnivore Specialist Group }}</ref>

The golden palm civet is forest-dependent, yet tolerant of minor habitat modification where some continuous forest remains. It is arboreal, nocturnal, and solitary; its diet consists of [[fruit]]s, [[berry|berries]], [[invertebrates]], and a wide range of small [[vertebrates]].<ref name=iucn />

In [[Sri Lanka]] the golden palm civet is called {{transl|si|pani uguduwa}} {{lang|si|පැනි උගුඩුවා}}, {{transl|si|sapumal kalawaddha}} {{lang|si|සපුමල් කලවැද්දා}}, or {{transl|si|ranhothambuwa}} {{lang|si|රන් හොතබුවා}} / {{transl|si|hotambuwa}} {{lang|si|හොතබුවා}}, by the [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] speaking community. Both golden and [[Asian palm civet]]s are sometimes collectively called {{transl|si|kalawedda}} in Sinhala and ''maranai'' (மரநாய்) in [[Tamil language|Tamil]].<ref name=groves09 />

However, the word {{transl|si|hotambuwa}} is mostly used to refer altogether a different species, the [[ruddy mongoose]] (''Herpestes smithii''). Due to similar appearance and [[Animal coloration|coloration]], they are mistaken as the same animal.

This civet appears inon 3the 3-[[rupee]] Sri Lankan postal stamp. However, it is labeled "Golden Palm Cat" inon the stamp.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}