African civet: Difference between revisions

The [[Generic name (biology)|generic name]] ''Civettictis'' is a fusion of the [[French language|French]] word ''civette'' and the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''ictis'', meaning "weasel". The [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]] ''civetta'' and the common name "civet" come from the French ''civettescivette'' or the [[Arabic languages|Arabic]] ''zabād'' or ''sinnawr al-zabād'' ("civet cat").<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Gibb|editor1-first=H. A. R. |editor2-last=Lewis |editor2-first=B. |editor3-last=Ménage|editor3-first=V. L.|editor4-last=Pellat|editor4-first=C.|editor5-last=Schacht|editor5-first=J.|title=Encyclopaedia of Islam (H-Iram)|date=2009|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden, Netherlands|isbn=978-90-04-08118-5|page=809a|edition=2nd}}</ref>

The African civet has historically been hunted for the secretion of perineal [[Scent gland|gland]]s. This secretion is a white or yellow waxy substance called [[Civet (perfumery)|civetone]], which has been used as a basic ingredient for many [[perfumes]] for hundreds of years.<ref name=Ray/> In Ethiopia, African civets are hunted alive, and are kept in small cages. Most die within three weeks after capture, most likely due to stress. Extraction of the civetone is cruel and has been criticised by animal rights activists.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Daniel, W. O. |author2=Bekele, A. F. |author3=Balakrishnan, M. |author4=Belay, G. U. |year=2011 |title=Collection of African Civet ''Civettictis civetta'' perineal gland secretion from naturally scent-marked sites |journal=Small Carnivore Conservation |volume=44 |pages=14–18 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265194851}}</ref> They also love food a lot.