Johnston's genet

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Johnston's genet
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Subfamily: Viverrinae
Genus: Genetta
Species: G. johnstoni
Binomial name
Genetta johnstoni[2]
(Pocock, 1908)
Johnston's Genet area.png
Johnston's genet range
(green - extant,
pink - probably extant)
Synonyms
  • lehmanni Kuhn, 1960

Johnston's genet (Genetta johnstoni) is a small carnivoran native to the Upper Guinean forests. As it is threatened by deforestation and conversion of rainforest to agriculturally and industrially used land, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.[1]

It is considered one of West Africa's least known carnivores, and until the turn of the century was known only from museum collections. In January 2000, a dead individual was found near the Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire. In July of the same year, the first live individual known to science was trapped.[3][4]

Characteristics[edit]

The short fur of Johnston's genet is rich golden to ochre yellowish with small reddish spots on the sides, a dark stripe along the spine and dark limbs. Its hind legs are dark grey. Its tail has eight black and seven pale rings, and a brown tip that is whitish below.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Dunham, A. & Gaubert, P. (2008). "Gennetta johnstoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. 
  2. ^ Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. 
  3. ^ Gaubert, P. Veron, G., Colyn, M., Dunham, A., Shultz, S., & Tranier, M. (2002). "A reassessment of the distribution of the rare Genetta johnstoni (Viverridae, Carnivora) with some newly discovered specimens". Mammal Review 32: 132–144. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2907.2002.00102.x. 
  4. ^ Marriner, D. (2014). "Johnston's Genet (Genetta johnstoni): Ringtail of Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone". Wizzley.com. Retrieved 14 September 2015. 
  5. ^ Pocock, R. I. (1907). Report upon a small collection of Mammalia brought from Liberia by Mr Leonard Leighton. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (May to December): 1037–1047.