Mammals
Malabar Civet
Viverra civettina · also called Malabar large-spotted civet
Endemic to a narrow strip of Indian forest now largely replaced by coconut and rubber plantations, a Malabar civet has become so rarely seen that some researchers fear it may already be gone from the wild entirely.
Overview
The Malabar civet, Viverra civettina, is a critically endangered carnivore endemic to forest habitat within the Western Ghats region of southwestern India. Its extreme rarity, near-total habitat conversion to agricultural plantations, and status as possibly functionally extinct make it one of the most urgently threatened carnivores found anywhere in the world.
A species that may already be gone
Few animals illustrate the quiet nature of extinction as starkly as the Malabar civet, whose decline has unfolded so far from public attention that its exact current status remains genuinely uncertain even to the researchers who study it.
Status
Critically Endangered, with only a handful of confirmed sightings in recent decades and a real possibility that it is already functionally extinct in the wild.
Malabar Civet: common questions
Is the Malabar civet extinct?
Not officially, though this species has had only a handful of confirmed sightings in recent decades, leading some researchers to fear it may already be extinct or functionally extinct in the wild.
Why did the Malabar civet decline so severely?
This species has seen much of its historical forest habitat in India's Western Ghats converted to coconut and rubber plantations, a major driver behind its collapse to critically low numbers.
Where is the Malabar civet found?
This species is endemic to the Western Ghats region of southwestern India, a narrow strip of forest habitat found nowhere else on Earth.
How can you identify a Malabar civet?
This species has a coat marked with dark spots and a prominent crest of longer hair running along its spine, which it can raise when alarmed to appear larger.