African palm civets are widely distributed across the equatorial region of Africa. They are found in the southern half of West Africa and in most of Central and East Africa. They are found as far northwest as Senegal and as far northeast as Kenya. They range to Angola in the southeast and to Mozambique in the southwest. They have also been discovered on Unguja Island off the coast of Tanzania.

Habitat

African palm civets mainly live in rainforests but are found in other wooded areas that have a minimum rainfall of 1,000 mm per year and have fruit-bearing trees year-round. They are found in deciduous forests, lowland rainforests, and mountainous areas that are under 2,000 m, and riparian forests, savanna woodlands, and logged and second-growth forests. They have also been known to visit cultivated fields bordering forest edges. They find shelter in many places such as holes, crevices, the forks of trees, or tangled vines. They are also sometimes found sleeping in gutters, thick undergrowth in farm and village margins, woodpiles, old dead trees, pits of dead leaves, thatched roofs and overgrown shrubbery in rubbish dumps due to the expansion of human developments.

Reproduction

African palm civets breed twice a year during the rainy seasons. One male will breed with multiple females who live in home ranges that overlap his home range.

Male and female African palm civets can breed twice a year, typically during rainy seasons. After the female becomes pregnant, she goes through 9 weeks of gestation with birth happening around May and October. Female civets typically give birth in a hollow tree to 2 offspring, each weighing about 55 g, but can have up to 4 offspring at a time. After about 64 days, baby civets are weaned and then the young accompany the mother when she forages until they are nearly adult size. After an average of 3 years, both males and females reach the age of sexual maturity.

Behavior

African palm civets are solitary animals, but individuals have overlapping home ranges. Many civets forage in the same areas as other civets do. They are nocturnal creatures that are typically most active shortly after nightfall for 3 to 4 hours and then active again 3 to 4 hours before the sunrise. During the day, African palm civets can be found hiding or sleeping. Both males and females are territorial, using scent markings to establish their territories.

Communication and Perception

Most communication is through scent markings and sounds. African palm civets have many scent glands. The main scent gland is on the lower abdomen; it secretes a large amount of a brown musk. There are other glands on the bottom of the chin and feet that secrete a scent that has been described as having a floral or fruity smell. There is another scent gland that is on the belly of a lactating mother. This gland stains the young with a bright yellow color, but the exact reason for this is unknown. African palm civets make many different sounds. They are most known for their unique hooting calls. When talking to other palm civets they make loud mewing and clucking sounds, and they have the ability to purr. When threatened these civets can growl and they have a loud scream and bark.

Food Habits

African palm civets are omnivores. They live in areas that produce fruit almost year around. Some of the fruit the palm civet eat come from umbrella trees (Musanga), sugar plums (Uapaca), corkwood (Myrianthus), wild figs (Fica), as well as the fleshy pulp from oil palms (Elaeis guineensis). Even though fruit is an important part of their diet, African palm civets are opportunistic; they will supplement their diet with whatever other foods they find. They eat rodents, insects, lizards, bats, birds, eggs, and hatchlings. African palm civets are also known to eat carrion. They will even raid farms for small livestock, including chickens, lambs, goat kids, and turkeys. These civets catch prey by stalking and then pouncing. Once the prey is caught they bite the prey repeatedly and eat large pieces.