Rusty-spotted genet
{{Short description|Species of carnivore}}
{{speciesbox
| name = Rusty-spotted genet
| image = Panther Genet (Genetta maculata) (30556229264).jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Genetta
| species = maculata
| authority = (Gray, 1830)
| synonyms =
| range_map = Rusty-spotted Genet area.png
| range_map_caption = Rusty-spotted genet range
}}
The rusty-spotted genet (Genetta maculata),{{MSW3 Wozencraft| id=14000397 |heading=Genetta maculata |page=556}} 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 {{convert|42|to|52|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Its {{convert|40|to|53|cm|in|abbr=on}} long tail is ringed and has a dark tip. Its feet are of the same colour as the fur. It weighs from {{convert|1.3|to|3|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{cite book |author1=Gaubert, P. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Taylor, P. J. |author3=Veron, G. |year=2005 |location=Bonn |publisher=Museum König |pages=371–383 |chapter=Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in Africa |title=African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology |editor1=Huber, B. A. |editor2=Sinclair, B. J. |editor3=Lampe, K.-H. |chapter-url=http://media.withtank.com/3954452aa8/integrative_taxonomy_and_phylo-genetic_systematics_of_the_genets.pdf}}
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.{{cite journal |author=Angelici, F. M. |year=2000 |title=Food habits and resource partitioning of carnivores (Herpestidae, Viverridae) in the rainforests of southeastern Nigeria: preliminary results |journal=Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et la Vie) |volume=55 |pages=67–76 |doi=10.3406/revec.2000.2314 |url=http://documents.irevues.inist.fr/bitstream/handle/2042/55398/RevuedEcologie_2000_55_1_67.pdf?sequence=1}}
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.{{cite book |author=Gray, J. E. |year=1830 |title=Spicilegia zoologica; or, original figures and short systematic descriptions of new and unfigured animals |location=London |publisher=Treüttel, Würtz |chapter=Fam. Felidae. Gen. Viverra |page=9 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IUYAAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA9}}
In the 19th and 20th centuries, several taxonomists proposed the following species and subspecies for specimens obtained by natural history museums:
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- fieldiana Du Chaillu, 1860{{cite journal |author=Du Chaillu, P. |year=1860 |title=Descriptions of five new species of mammals discovered in western equatorial Africa |journal=Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History |volume=7 |issue=29 |pages=298−304 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofbos59bost/page/302}}
- aequatorialis Heuglin, 1866{{cite book |author=Heuglin, T. |year=1866 |title=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 |location=Wien |publisher=Kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften |page=23 |chapter=Genetta aequatorialis Heugl |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UpY-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA23}}
- erlangeri, gleimi, schraderi, stuhlmanni, suahelica, zambesiana Matschie, 1902{{cite book |author=Matschie, P. |year=1902 |title=Verhandlungen des V. Internationalen Zoologen-Congresses |location=Jena |publisher=Gustav Fischer |chapter=Über die individuellen und geographischen Abänderungen der Ginsterkatzen |pages=1128–1144 |editor=Matschie, P. |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/verhandlungenint05inteuoft/page/1128}}
- matschiei Neumann, 1902{{cite journal |author=Neumann, O. R. |year=1902 |title=Über einige neue Arten der Ginsterkatzen |journal=Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin |volume=8 |pages=181–184 |url=https://archive.org/details/sitzungsberichte1902gese/page/180}}
- pumila Hollister, 1916{{cite journal |author=Hollister, N. |year=1916 |title=Descriptions of a new genus and eight new species and subspecies of African mammals |journal=Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections |volume=66 |pages=1−8 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/23554/SMC_66_Hollister_1916_1_1-8.pdf}}
- insularis Cabrera, 1921{{cite journal |author=Cabrera, A. |year=1921 |title=Algunos carnívoros africanos nuevos |volume=21 |journal=Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural |pages=261−264 |url=http://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/ing/Libro.php?Libro=1229&Pagina=261}}
- rubiginosa zuluensis Roberts, 1924{{cite journal |author=Roberts, A. |year=1924 |title=Some additions to the list of South African mammals |volume=10 |journal=Annals of the Transvaal Museum |issue=2 |pages=59−76 |url=https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/nfi_annalstm/10/2/727.pdf}}
- soror Schwarz, 1929{{cite journal |author=Schwarz, E. |year=1929 |title=On two new genets from the upper Congo |volume=3 |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History |series=Series 10 |issue=13 |pages=47−48 |doi=10.1080/00222932908672935}}
- rubiginosa albiventris Roberts, 1932{{cite journal |author=Roberts, A. P. |year=1932 |title=reliminary description of fifty-seven new forms of South African mammals |volume=15 |journal=Annals of the Transvaal Museum |issue=1 |pages=1−19 |url=https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/nfi_annalstm/15/1/618.pdf}}
- deorum Funaioli and Simonetta, 1960{{cite journal |author1=Funaioli, U. |author2=Simonetta, A.M. |year=1960 |title=Spedizione biologica in Somalia, 1959. Risultati zoologici. Carnivora |volume=68 |journal=Monitore Zoologico Italiano |pages=58−79}}
- pardina schoutedeni Crawford-Cabral, 1970{{cite journal |author=Crawford-Cabral, J. |year=1970 |title=As genetas da Africa Central |volume=7 |journal=Boletim do Instituto de Investigação Científica de Angola |pages=3–23}}
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Genetta letabae (Thomas and Schwann, 1906),{{cite journal |author1=Thomas, O. |author2=Schwann, H. |year=1906 |title=The Rudd exploration of South Africa. − V. List of mammals obtained by Mr. Grant in North East Transvaal |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |pages=575−591 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofzoo19064631052zool/page/578}} formerly considered a subspecies, is now thought to be a separate species.{{cite book |author=Gaubert, P. |author2=Taylor, P. J. |name-list-style=amp |author3=Veron, G. |year=2005 |chapter=Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta): a new classification of the most speciose carnivoran genus in Africa |pages=371–383 |title=African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology, Museum König, Bonn |editor1=Huber, B. A. |editor2=Sinclair, B. J. |editor3=Lampe, K.-H. |publisher=Springer |chapter-url=http://media.withtank.com/3954452aa8/integrative_taxonomy_and_phylo-genetic_systematics_of_the_genets.pdf}}
References
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{{Carnivora|V.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q43214}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:genet, rusty-spotted}}