Rusty-spotted genet explained

The rusty-spotted genet (Genetta maculata), also called panther genet and large-spotted genet, is a genet that is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. It is considered common and therefore listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Characteristics

The rusty-spotted genet has short whitish grey to pale yellow coloured fur with dark spots and a continuous dark line across the back. The spots of the upper two dorsal rows are round or square, brown in the center and darker outside. In head-to-body length it ranges from 42to. Its 40to long tail is ringed and has a dark tip. Its feet are of the same colour as the fur. It weighs from 1.3to.^[1]

Behaviour and ecology

Research in southeastern Nigeria revealed that the rusty-spotted genet has an omnivorous diet. It feeds on rodents like giant pouched rats (Cricetomys), Nigerian shrew (Crocidura nigeriae), Temminck's mouse (Mus musculoides), Tullberg's soft-furred mouse (Praomys tulbergi), Peters's striped mouse (Hybomys univittatus), typical striped grass mouse (Lemniscomys striatus), red-eyed dove (Streptopelia semitorquata), common agama (Agama agama), Mabuya skinks, Myriapoda, spiders, Orthoptera and Coleoptera as well as eggs, fruits, berries and seeds.^[2]

Taxonomy

In 1830, John Edward Gray first described a rusty-spotted genet using the name Viverra maculata based on a zoological specimen that lived in the menagerie at the Tower of London.^[3] In the 19th and 20th centuries, several taxonomists proposed the following species and subspecies for specimens obtained by natural history museums:

• fieldiana Du Chaillu, 1860^[4]
• aequatorialis Heuglin, 1866^[5]
• erlangeri, gleimi, schraderi, stuhlmanni, suahelica, zambesiana Matschie, 1902^[6]
• matschiei Neumann, 1902^[7]
• pumila Hollister, 1916^[8]
• insularis Cabrera, 1921^[9]
• rubiginosa zuluensis Roberts, 1924^[10]
• soror Schwarz, 1929^[11]
• rubiginosa albiventris Roberts, 1932^[12]
• deorum Funaioli and Simonetta, 1960^[13]
• pardina schoutedeni Crawford-Cabral, 1970^[14]

Genetta letabae (Thomas and Schwann, 1906),^[15] formerly considered a subspecies, is now thought to be a separate species.^[16]

Notes and References

1. Book: Gaubert, P. . amp . Taylor, P. J. . Veron, G. . 2005 . Bonn . Museum König . 371–383 . Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in Africa . African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology . Huber, B. A. . Sinclair, B. J. . Lampe, K.-H. . http://media.withtank.com/3954452aa8/integrative_taxonomy_and_phylo-genetic_systematics_of_the_genets.pdf.
2. Angelici, F. M. . 2000 . Food habits and resource partitioning of carnivores (Herpestidae, Viverridae) in the rainforests of southeastern Nigeria: preliminary results . Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et la Vie) . 55 . 67–76 . 10.3406/revec.2000.2314 .
3. Book: Gray, J. E. . 1830 . Spicilegia zoologica; or, original figures and short systematic descriptions of new and unfigured animals . London . Treüttel, Würtz . Fam. Felidae. Gen. Viverra . 9 . https://books.google.com/books?id=IUYAAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA9.
4. Du Chaillu, P. . 1860 . Descriptions of five new species of mammals discovered in western equatorial Africa . Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History . 7 . 29 . 298−304 .
5. Book: Heuglin, T. . 1866 . Systematische Übersicht der Säugethiere Nordost-Afrika's mit Einschluss der arabischen Küste, des rothen Meeres, der Somáli-und der Nilquellen-Länder, südwärts bis zum vierten Grade nördlicher Breite . Wien . Kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften . 23 . Genetta aequatorialis Heugl . https://books.google.com/books?id=UpY-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA23.
6. Book: Matschie, P. . 1902 . Verhandlungen des V. Internationalen Zoologen-Congresses . Jena . Gustav Fischer . Über die individuellen und geographischen Abänderungen der Ginsterkatzen . 1128–1144 . Matschie, P. . https://archive.org/details/verhandlungenint05inteuoft/page/1128.
7. Neumann, O. R. . 1902 . Über einige neue Arten der Ginsterkatzen . Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin . 8 . 181–184 .
8. Hollister, N. . 1916 . Descriptions of a new genus and eight new species and subspecies of African mammals . Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections . 66 . 1−8 .
9. Cabrera, A. . 1921 . Algunos carnívoros africanos nuevos . 21 . Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural . 261−264 .
10. Roberts, A. . 1924 . Some additions to the list of South African mammals . 10 . Annals of the Transvaal Museum . 2 . 59−76 .
11. Schwarz, E. . 1929 . On two new genets from the upper Congo . 3 . Annals and Magazine of Natural History . Series 10 . 13 . 47−48 . 10.1080/00222932908672935 .
12. Roberts, A. P. . 1932 . reliminary description of fifty-seven new forms of South African mammals . 15 . Annals of the Transvaal Museum . 1 . 1−19 .
13. Funaioli, U. . Simonetta, A.M. . 1960 . Spedizione biologica in Somalia, 1959. Risultati zoologici. Carnivora . 68 . Monitore Zoologico Italiano . 58−79 .
14. Crawford-Cabral, J. . 1970 . As genetas da Africa Central . 7 . Boletim do Instituto de Investigação Científica de Angola . 3–23 .
15. Thomas, O. . Schwann, H. . 1906 . The Rudd exploration of South Africa. − V. List of mammals obtained by Mr. Grant in North East Transvaal . Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London . 575−591 .
16. Book: Gaubert, P. . Taylor, P. J. . amp . Veron, G. . 2005 . Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in Africa . 371–383 . African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology, Museum König, Bonn . Huber, B. A. . Sinclair, B. J. . Lampe, K.-H. . Springer . http://media.withtank.com/3954452aa8/integrative_taxonomy_and_phylo-genetic_systematics_of_the_genets.pdf.