Viverridae

A family of mammals in the order Carnivora, native to southern Europe, Africa, and Asia. They are carnivores with long bodies and short legs. Members include the civets, genets, and mongoose. Civets were, at one time, kept by the Romans as mousers. There are 36 genera, and roughly 80 species in the family.

Genus and species list:

Subfamily Cyrptoproctinae
Cryptoprocta (Fossa)

Subfamily Euplerinae
Eupleres (goudotii)
Fossa (fossa)

Subfamily Galidiinae
Galidia (elegans)
Galidictis (fasciata, grandidieri)
Mungotictis (decemlineata)
Salanoia (Salano)

Subfamily Hemigalinae
Chrotogale (owstoni)
Cynogale (Otter-civet)
Hemigalus (Banded Palm Civet)

Subfamily Herpestinae
Atilax (Marsh Mongoose)
Bdeogale (Bushy-tailed Mongoose, jacksoni, nigripes)
Crossarchus (alexandri, ansorgei, Cusimanse)
Cynictis (Yellow Mongoose)
Dologale (dybowskii)
Helogale (African Tropical Savannah Mongoose, Dwarf Mongoose)
Herpestes (Indian Mongoose, brachyurus, Indian Grey Mongoose, fuscus, Egyptian Mongoose, javanicus, naso, pulverulentus, sanguineus, semitorquatus, smithii, urva, vitticollis)
Ichneumia (White-tailed Mongoose)
Liberiictis (kuhni)
Mungos (gambianus, Banded Mongoose)
Paracynictis (selousi)
Rhynchogale (melleri)
Suricata (Meerkat)

Subfamily Paradoxurinae
Arctictis (Binturong)
Arctogalidia (trivirgata)
Macrogalidia (musschenbroekii)
Nandinia (African Palm Civet)
Paguma (Masked Palm Civet)
Paradoxurus (hermaphroditus), (jerdoni), (zeylonensis)

Subfamily Viverrinae
Civettictis (African Civet)
Genetta (abyssinica), (angolensis), (felina), (Small-spotted Genet)
Osbornictis (piscivora)
Poiana (African Linsang)
Prionodon (Banded Linsang), (pardicolor)
Viverra (megaspila), (tangalunga), (zibetha)
Viverricula (indica)

Back to the Phylogenetic Taxonomy of Life

[Editor's note 6/21/2002 (Gz): Turned genera into links.]