Genetta maculata
| Linguistics |
| Actual scientific name : |
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Genetta maculata |
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| Old scientific name : |
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Genetta tigrina |
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| French name : |
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Genette pardine |
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| English name : |
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Large-spotted Genet,; Rusty-spotted Genet |
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| Vernacular name : |
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| Mukenge, kasimba, nshimba (Kiluba); mbala (Kisonge); Nshimba (Kikaonde); Nshimba (Kilala) ; Inshimba, insimba (Kilamba); nshimba, chimona (Lunda) ; inshimba, nshimba (Kibemba) ; kanu (Kiswahili) | |
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| Zoology |
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| Description : |
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Length: about 100 cm (with a tail of 50 cm. Body is slender. Legs are short. Digits with short, curved and retractile claws. Coat is short, soft and varies from buffy to yellowish or to brownish-grey. Upperparts marked with large black or brown spots arranged in about 3 longitudinal rows on each side of a dark dorsal crest. Muzzle is long and pointed, with brown sides. Chin is white and there are white patches below the eyes and on the forehead. Tail is marked with 8 to 10 black rings and has a black tip. |
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| Habitat : |
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Open forests, close to water.
Common in Katanga.
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| Behaviour : |
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Nocturnal, solitary and mainly arboreal. During day, rests in hollow trees, abandoned dens or cracks of rocks. Like all the genets, it is a good climber. Hunts mainly in trees and is able to perform impressive jumps. Its sense of smell is very developed. It deposits its faeces at regular latrines. Marks its territory by rubbing the secretions from its anal bags on surrounding objects. When disturbed, erect the hair along its spinal crest and arches its back, appearing larger. When in danger, the genet emits foul-smelling anal secretions, spits and hisses. When lies in wait, it crawls on the ground. Able to steal in any opening big enough to let its head through. Average lifespan: 10 years. |
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| Diet : |
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Rodents, birds, invertebrates, fruits, reptiles. |
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| Life history : |
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After about 70 days of gestation, females give birth to 1 to 4 young. They open their eyes after 10 days.
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| Distribution in Katanga : |
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| History, Ethnology, Sociology |
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Readily attacks poultry. |
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| Taboos : |
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| Legends, believes, folklore : |
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| Fishing, hunting : |
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Often caught in traps. |
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| Feeding : |
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Consumed and appreciated. |
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| Breeding, taming : |
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Easily tamed, especially young individuals. |
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| Uses of skin or other body parts : |
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Skins are valued as decoration for traditional costumes. |
Warning :
This database was established according to official pieces of work and with the help of famous scientists. However, there might be some errors.
The vernacular names were collected in the field and in the colonial literature from the first part of the 20th century. The monks who established the first dictionaries were not necessarily informed naturalists. Therefore, errors must have been committed.
We invite everyone who could help us to improve this working tool to contact us in order to correct us and share her/his knowledge with us.
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