Seventeen species of slender, cat-like carnivores with spotted fur, a dark stripe down the spine and a ringed tail almost as long as the body. All are African; the common genet also lives on the Arabian coast and was brought to Spain about 1,000 years ago.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Most active just after sunset and just before dawn.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Europe, Asia
HabitatForest, Scrub
ColoursGrey, Black, Cream
SizeSmall
Length41–60 cm, plus a 40–47 cm tail
WeightAbout 2 kg (common genet males)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives forUp to 13 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Africa; the common genet also lives along the coasts of Arabia, Yemen and Oman, and in Spain, France and Italy.
- What it eats
- Small mammals, lizards, birds, eggs, frogs, insects and other invertebrates, plus fruit.
Did you know
A spotted, cat-like hunter and the only viverrid that can stand on its hind legs.
Genets are the only viverrids that can stand on their hind legs.
In 2014 a camera trap caught a large spotted genet riding on the backs of buffalo and a rhinoceros.
Often confused with
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