[Mammalogy • 2014] How Many Species of Paradoxurus Civets are there? New Insights from India and Sri Lanka

Paradoxurus m. musangus

Male relaxing on a thick liana at Sungei Relau, Taman Negara, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia | photo: EcologyAsia.com

Abstract

Using molecular data and morphological features, we investigated the species limits and genetic diversity among populations of the Asian palm civets of the genus Paradoxurus. Our main objectives were to determine the number of species within Paradoxurus hermaphroditus and to test the validity of the newly proposed species within Paradoxurus zeylonensis. Fragments of two mitochondrial (Cytochrome b, Control Region) and one nuclear (intron 7 of the beta fibrinogen) markers were sequenced from 128 individuals of P. hermaphroditus, P. zeylonensis and Paradoxurus jerdoni. DNA sequences were analysed using phylogenetic and haplotype network methods. 

Our analyses confirmed that P. hermaphroditus comprises three major clades, which should be recognized as separate species: Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Indian and Indochinese regions), Paradoxurus musangus (mainland Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java and other small Indonesian islands) and Paradoxurus philippinensis (Mentawai Islands, Borneo and the Philippines). Furthermore, we have proposed that there are two subspecies within both P. musangus and P. philippinensis, and there might be at least two or three subspecies within P. hermaphroditus. We found a very low genetic diversity and no geographical structure within P. zeylonensis and did not find any support for splitting P. zeylonensis into several species nor subspecies. Finally, we confirmed that P. jerdoni and P. zeylonensis are sister species.

Keywords: Asia; taxonomy; palm civets; Paradoxurus; Viverridae; Molecular systematics

Paradoxurus m. musangus 'Toddy Cat' from MacRitchie forest, Singapore
photo: Francis Yap | BESGroup.org

Paradoxurus m. musangus from  Singapore Botanic Garden
photo: Chung Yi Fei KampungLife.wordpress.com

Géraldine Veron, Marie-Lilith Patou, Mária Tóth, Manori Goonatilake and Andrew P. Jennings. 2014. How Many Species of Paradoxurus Civets are there? New Insights from India and Sri Lanka. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 1-14. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12085.

 The common palm civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, has been split into three species by a recent study (Veron et al., 2014). The name Paradoxurus hermaphroditus is restricted to the populations in India, southern China and Indo-china (henceforth as Indian palm civet). The form in Singapore, peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Java is Paradoxurus musangus (Sumatran palm civet), named by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1821 as Viverra musanga based on animals from Sumatra. Those in Borneo and the Philippines are Paradoxurus philippinensis (Philippine palm civet)

Marcus A. H. Chua & Fung Tze Kwan. 2014. Sumatran palm civet at Grange Road. Singapore Biodiversity Records. 2014. http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/nus/images/pdfs/sbr/2014/sbr2014-295.pdf

[Mammalogy • 2014] Distribution of the Malay Civet Viverra tangalunga (Carnivora: Viverridae) across Southeast Asia: Natural or Human-mediated Dispersal?

Malay civet Viverra tangalunga

photo croix.gagnon  flic.kr/p/7N5HJw

Abstract

The Malay civet Viverra tangalunga Gray, 1832 is a fairly large viverrid that has a wide distribution in both the Sundaic and Wallacea regions of Southeast Asia. We investigated the genetic diversity of V. tangalunga by analysing the mitochondrial DNA of 81 individuals throughout its range in order to elucidate the evolutionary history of this species and to test the hypotheses of natural dispersal and/or potential human introductions to some islands and regions. Our phylogenetic analyses revealed that V. tangalunga has a low matrilinear genetic diversity and is poorly structured geographically. Borneo is likely to have served as the ancestral population source from which animals dispersed during the Pleistocene. Viverra tangalunga could have naturally dispersed to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Belitung, and also to several other Sunda Islands (Bangka, Lingga, and Bintang in the Rhio Archipelago), and to Palawan, although there is possible evidence that humans introduced V. tangalunga to the latter islands. Our results strongly suggested that V. tangalunga was transported by humans across Wallace's Line to Sulawesi and the Moluccas, but also to the Philippines and the Natuna Islands. Our study has shown that human-mediated dispersal can be an important factor in understanding the distribution of some species in this region.  

Keywords: biogeography; Carnivora; human introduction; phylogeography; Southeast Asia; Sunda Shelf

Viverra tangalunga from Borneo, Sabah

photo: Kalyan Varma commons.wikimedia.org

Malay Civet Viverra tangalunga photographed by a camera trap at night
Gunung Palung Natioanl Park, West Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia.

photo: Tim Laman

Geraldine Veron, Maraike Willsch, Victor Dacosta, Marie-Lilith Patou, Adrian Seymour, Celine Bonillo, Arnaud Couloux, Siew Te Wong, Andrew P. Jennings, Jörns Fickel and Andreas Wilting. 2014. The Distribution of the Malay Civet Viverra tangalunga (Carnivora: Viverridae) across Southeast Asia: Natural or Human-mediated Dispersal? Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 170(4); 917–932 

DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12110

[Mammalogy • 2013] Photographic Documentation of Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni in Maharashtra, India, north of its known range

Fig. 2. Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni photographed in Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India, in November 2011

Photo: Harshal Bhosale

Abstract 

Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni is a small carnivore endemic to the Western Ghats, India. It occurs throughout the south-ern Western Ghats, from Achankovil Reserved Forest (Kerala) to the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary (Goa), but until now was not recorded in the northern Western Ghats, north of the state of Goa. Two records from the state of Maharashtra extend its known range north by about 200 km: a photograph near Amboli, and a sighting even further north in Chandoli National Park. The forest of Amboli is structurally connected to the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, but connectivity with Chandoli National Park is now severely limited for this forest-dwelling small carnivore (see p. 39 for a record from 75 km further north).

Keywords: Amboli, Chandoli National Park, extension of known range, northernmost records

H. S. BHOSALE, G. A. PUNJABI and R. BARDAPURKAR. 2013. Photographic Documentation of Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni in Maharashtra, India, north of its known range. Small Carnivore Conservation. 49: 37–39. 

academia.edu/6218713/Photographic_documentation_of_Brown_Palm_Civet_Paradoxurus_jerdoni_in_Maharashtra_India_north_of_its_known_range

[Mammalogy • 2009] the Taxonomy of the Endemic Golden Palm Civet of Sri Lanka; Paradoxurus aureus, P. montanus & P. stenocephalus

Paradoxurus aureus

Artist: J.Smit

Abstract

Two species of palm civet are currently known from Sri Lanka: the widespread common species, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Pallas, 1777), and the endemic golden species, Paradoxurus zeylonensis (Pallas, 1778). The latter has two ‘morphs’, one golden and one dark brown, both of which are recorded from all three major biotic zones in Sri Lanka (wet zone, dry zone, and cloud forest). We have examined specimens of both ‘morphs’ from all zones, and conclude that there are actually several species involved: names are available for two of them, we describe a third as a new species, and we draw attention to a probable fourth species, based on two distinctive specimens, the provenance of which are unfortunately unknown. The name zeylonensis probably does not apply to a golden palm civet at all.

Keywords: New species – Paradoxurus aureus – Paradoxurus montanus – Paradoxurus stenocephalus – Paradoxurus zeylonesis.

At present, three species of endemic palm civet can be distinguished in Sri Lanka.

Paradoxurus aureus F. CUVIER, 1822

GOLDEN WET-ZONE PALM CIVET

Paradoxurus montanus KELAART, 1852

SRI LANKAN BROWN PALM CIVET

Paradoxurus stenocephalus SP. NOV.

GOLDEN DRY-ZONE PALM CIVET

Etymology: Narrow-headed (Greek stenos = narrow, kephalos = head).

Paradoxurus SP. NOV.?

SUMMARY

The endemic palm civets (Paradoxurus) of Sri Lanka form not one single species but at least three: one of

these is here described as new. They are distinguished by external features and by their skulls. Two of the species are golden in colour: one is known from two specimens from the dry zone, and the other is found in the wet zone, apparently extending into the cloud forest. By contrast, there is so far no evidence for any variation according to climatic zones in the dark-coloured species, and for the moment we class them in one single species. Two further specimens are quite different from any other, but owing to the uncertainty surrounding their provenance they cannot be described taxonomically.

The name P. zeylonensis, usually used for an endemic Sri Lankan palm civet, may well apply instead to the common palm civet, P. hermaphroditus. The earliest name definitely applicable to one of the presently described species is P. aureus F. Cuvier, 1822.

 Groves, C. P., Rajapaksha, C., Mamemandra-Arachchi, K. 2009. The  Taxonomy of the Endemic Golden Palm Civet of Sri Lanka. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 155: 238–251. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00451.x

http://www.lakdasun.org/forum/doc_base/endemic_golden_palm_civet_of_sri_lanka.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradoxurus_aureus