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Physical Description:
Habitat:
Behavior:
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Conservation Status:
It is gray with reddish-brown spots on the head and neck. The rest of the body is marked with dark spots or stripes. It is thought to resemble a small, long-legged and long-bodied leopard. This genet is best distinguished from others in the area by its call which consists of one long mew followed by a yelp. This is much louder and more piercing than the calls of other genets. This species exhibits the same behavior as others in its family. It is solitary and nocturnal and it spends a lot of time in trees. Its diet consists of small mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, and berries. Although it is known to take domestic fowl and pigeons it is not a pest to humans and is therefore not persecuted. It is known to move over quite large distances in search of food. This genet will use abandoned termite mounds or hollow trees as dens. It is here that young ones are usually born. The Zanzibar servaline genet is mainly threatened by habitat degradation. Because it is dependent on trees, forest is being lost, and the threat is ever present. With no justified conservation methods for Zanzibar at present, this species should be monitored and considered for conservation implementation in the near future.
The Zanzibar servaline genet is a medium-sized carnivorous mammal. It is a member of the family Viverridae, which also includes mongooses and civets. It is a sub-species of the common genet. The Zanzibar servaline genet has a head and body length of 38-50 cm, and a tail length of 33-46 cm. It weighs between 1-1.5 kg. The fur is short and dense, and the color is predominantly a buff to dark grey with a number of black spots and stripes. This is slightly different from the standard common genet, which varies from grey to pale yellow with spots and up to 6 stripes that can extend right to the base of the tail. The Zanzibar genet’s stripes are only on the head and the neck. The tail is very full with fur and can have stripes in some individuals. The feet are semi-webbed with strong claws, which is an adaptation to its partially arboreal lifestyle. This feature is also slightly different from other genets. Other unique physical features include the male’s large testes in relation to the body size, and 3 pairs of nipples, unlike other genets which have 2. Due to the density of its fur, the genet feels heavy in comparison to other mammals of the same size. This gives the impression of it being more powerful than it actually is.
The servaline genet has many traits that have adapted to their lifestyle. They have semi-retractile claws for better climbing, which is beneficial as it spends much of its time in the trees. It can also rotate its hind feet 180 degrees. By doing that, it can easily run up or down a tree trunk. The servaline genet can also emit a strong smelling odor from its anal glands in times of danger or become aggressive. This could be used to ward off predators and defend itself. The scent is often compared to the scent of violets, but it is very strong and has the potential to deter larger predators. It is also a solitary animal that is very secretive, so it does not spray from scent glands to mark its territory. The Zanzibar servaline genet is a small viverrid that looks similar to a cat. It is found only on the Zanzibar archipelago, off the coast of Tanzania. Its distribution includes the islands of Unguja and Pemba. Although it looks similar to a cat, the genet is closer related to an African civet. This species has a sleek, smooth, and small body with a head and body length of 33-47cm and a tail length of 43-53 cm. They are quite variable in coloration throughout Zanzibar. The servaline genet is also a quiet, solitary, and secretive animal.
During the evening, night or just after dawn at Chumbe Island Coral Park is the best place to see Zanzibar servaline genets in the wild. The genets roam all over the island but are very difficult to see during the day and can be timid around the eco-wardens. Chumbe has a range of forest types including thick coastal thicket that the genet likes as it provides good cover. The wardens are very knowledgeable about the genets and can tell you a great deal about their behaviour and how they interact with small Indian civets which are also found on Chumbe. They also conduct regular beach monitoring of the turtle nesting and have captured genets on their infrared camera and posted several photos in the park buildings. Chumbe is a small private island off the west coast of Zanzibar and people visit there for the snorkelling on the coral reefs and to relax on one of the world’s top beaches so I advice only visiting Chumbe to dedicated mammal watchers and I suggest booking a few nights at the eco-bungalow accommodation to really increase your chances of seeing the genet. Zanzibar servaline genets are quite common around or just to the east of the Jointeni/Tanzania Dhow Company land on the south east coast of Zanzibar and in Maziwi Island just to the north. The Jointeni land is part of the wide spread Jozani-Chwaka Bay national park and Maziwi Island is one of two turtle sanctuaries off the east coast of Zanzibar. Unfortunately there is little wildlife monitoring at these locations and there is ongoing habitat loss and hunting of the genet around Zanzibar so the genet’s future at these locations is uncertain. However the Dhow Company land is a good place for seeing genets in coastal thicket habitat and is not too far from access to the small and well known village of Jambiani – meaning that it represents a good location where the genets can be easily seen by tourists.