4136 x 2739 px | 35 x 23,2 cm | 13,8 x 9,1 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
2012
Altre informazioni:
This Illustration is from The Welcome a magazine for the home circle, Volume XIII 1886. Genets are Old World mammals from the order Carnivora, suborder Feliformia, family Viverridae, and subfamily Viverrinae. They are related to civets, linsangs, fossa, and mongooses. The common genet is the only viverrid present in Portugal. Almost all species are contained within the genus Genetta, although the Aquatic Genet is sometimes housed in its own genus Osbornictis. Genets are feliforms, and are related to cats. Most of them have spotted coats, long, banded tails, small heads, and large ears. They are able to move through any opening that their head can fit through. Like civets, genets have strong musk glands, located by the anus, which are used for territorial, sexual and social purposes. Genets are highly agile creatures, with quick reflexes and exceptional climbing skills, and are the only viverrids that are able to stand bipedally. They are able to walk, trot, run, climb up and down trees, and jump. They are nocturnal and solitary, but some pairs and family groups are occasionally seen. Males have been found to be more active than females at night because of their greater size, which indicates that males have greater energy requirements to satisfy their physiological needs. Females typically weigh less, and they have been found to be less active overall. Females' home ranges are also smaller than males'. The mean annual home range of the common genet is 113 hectares (279 acres) for males and 72 hectares (178 acres) for females. While males have larger home ranges in all seasons, the differences between male and females territories are most significant during the winter.
