Small-toothed Palm Civet

Small-toothed Palm Civet

Arctogalidia trivirgata

Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Danum Valley Conservation Area

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

31 Verified sightings at Danum Valley Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
119 In all 6 parks
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Small-toothed Palm Civet

The small-toothed palm civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata), also known as the three-striped palm civet, is a viverrid native to dense forests from Northeast India to mainland Southeast Asia and the islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java.

A monotypic genus, Arctogalidia means 'bear-weasel' (from ancient Greek arkto- 'bear' + galidia 'little weasel'). The specific epithet trivirgata means 'three-striped' in Latin. The scientific name Paradoxurus trivirgatus was proposed by John Edward Gray in 1832 in his first scientific description of a small-toothed palm civet that was based on a zoological specimen from the Maluku Islands in the collection of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie.

The small-toothed palm civet is a member of the subfamily Paradoxurinae, described by Gray in 1864. There exists a debate among taxonomists as to whether individuals from Borneo and the Peninsular Malaysia are different species. Molecular modelling has suggested that the small-toothed palm civets in Borneo form a different clade belonging to Arctogalidia stigmatica; they may have genetically diverged during the Pliocene when rising sea levels in the South China Sea restricted connections between... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Alarm call0:06

Malaysia · 2023

© Daan Drukker · XC959714 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
2 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
3 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
4 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
5 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
6 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Yaroslavl Zoo 🇷🇺 Russia In captivity
2 Night Safari 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
3 Singapore Zoo 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
4 River Wonders 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Small-toothed Palm Civet in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Small-toothed Palm Civet sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 26 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Small-toothed Palm Civet in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

March

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Small-toothed Palm Civet in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, against about 10% in December, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Small-toothed Palm Civet?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small-toothed Palm Civet sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Danum Valley Conservation Area the best place to see a Small-toothed Palm Civet?

Yes

Of the 6 parks where we can rate Small-toothed Palm Civet sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (Malaysia, about 40%) and Kerinci Seblat National Park (Indonesia, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Small-toothed Palm Civet live in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Same family: Viverridae

The closest relatives of the Small-toothed Palm Civet that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (family Viverridae, Civets, Genets, and Oyans) are Malay Civet (about 40%), Common Palm Civet (about 40%) and Banded Civet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Small-toothed Palm Civet sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Small-toothed Palm Civet is recorded against all the mammals logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (31 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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