Genet (animal)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

A genet is a small African carnivore from the genus Genetta. There are about 17 species. The common genet is the only one that has spread to parts of Europe, including the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and France. Fossils show genets have been around since the Miocene in Africa (found in places like Ethiopia, Kenya, and Morocco). The genus Genetta was named by Frédéric Cuvier in 1816.

Appearance and senses
Genets are slender, cat-like animals with a long body and a long, ringed tail. They have large ears, a pointed snout, and partly retractile claws. Their fur is spotted, though some individuals can be melanistic (dark). They have musk glands, anal sacs, and perineal glands, and a dark stripe runs along the spine. Size varies by species: about 41–60 cm in body length, with tails around 40–47 cm (tail almost as long as the body). They have large eyes with elliptical pupils and can move their eyes and heads to follow moving objects. Their ears can swivel about 80 degrees. The nose area (rhinarium) helps with smell and touch. All genets live in Africa.

Range and habitat
The common genet reached southwestern Europe a long time ago, likely brought from the Maghreb to Spain and then spreading to southern France and Italy. In Africa, genets live in wooded areas north of the Sahara, in savannas south of the Sahara, and along some coastlines in Arabia, Yemen, and Oman. They are very agile and excellent climbers; they can stand on their hind legs like a watchful cat. They move on the ground, climb trees, and jump. They are mostly solitary, except when mating or caring for young.

Diet
Genets are omnivores. They eat invertebrates and small vertebrates, and also fruit and plants. Some species specialize more in fish (aquatic genet) or insects (Angolan and Johnston’s genets).

Interesting note
In 2014, a camera trap in a South African park captured a large spotted genet riding on the backs of buffalo and a rhinoceros—an unusual hitch-hiking moment.

Reproduction and life
Female genets can have up to five young at a time and raise them on their own. They reach sexual maturity around two years old. After mating, gestation lasts about 10–11 weeks. They have two births per year (spring and late summer to autumn). In captivity, common genets can live up to about 13 years; a male has lived to about 22.7 years.

Threats and conservation
Loss of habitat from deforestation and farming threatens several genet species. They are also hunted for meat and skins. Some species are considered threatened or near threatened, while others are not at immediate risk. The exact status varies by species, with little-known species labeled Data Deficient.

Name and pet trade
The word genet might come from an Arabic name and has roots in Old French and Spanish. Many genets kept as pets are common genets, rusty-spotted genets, or Cape genets. In the United States, some states prohibit keeping a genet as a pet or regulate it closely. Prices can be high, sometimes over $1,500. Genets are not easy to keep in captivity; they are solitary and don’t get along well with other pets like cats or dogs.