Paguma larvata
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), also called the gem-faced civet or Himalayan palm civet, is a viverrid species native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008 as it occurs in many protected areas, is tolerant to some degree of habitat modification, and widely distributed with presumed large populations that are unlikely to be declining.
The genus Paguma was first named and described by John Edward Gray in 1831. All described forms are regarded as a single species. In 2003, masked palm civets at a wildlife market in China were found to have been infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus.
The genus name Paguma was first proposed and described by John Edward Gray in 1831. Reginald Innes Pocock thought the genus comprises two species, namely: P. lanigera in northern Nepal and Tibet and P. larvata with eight subspecies from the Himalayan foothills to southern China, Southeast Asia up to Indonesia.
The masked palm civet's fur is grayish to ochraceous, black on the head, shoulders and neck, and blackish brown on the tail and feet. It has a white blaze... Wikipedia →
Recording0:15
Taiwan · 2024
© callumstephenson · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Beijing Wildlife Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 4 | Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | |
| 5 | Shenzhen Safari Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 6 | Tama Zoological Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 7 | La Torbiera | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 8 | Night Safari | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 9 | Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 10 | Shoushan Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 11 | Wild Elephant Valley | 🇨🇳 China |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Palm Civet sighting in Kaeng Krachan National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 32 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Palm Civet in Kaeng Krachan National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–July, September–October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Kaeng Krachan National Park's wettest months, with about 200 mm of rain against 30 mm in December.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Masked Palm Civet sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Masked Palm Civet sightings, Kaeng Krachan National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Cuc Phuong National Park (Vietnam, about 20%).
Same family: Viverridae
The closest relatives of the Masked Palm Civet that you can see in Kaeng Krachan National Park (family Viverridae, Civets, Genets, and Oyans) are Common Palm Civet (about 10%), Large Indian Civet (about 10%) and Small-toothed Palm Civet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Masked Palm Civet is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kaeng Krachan National Park (8 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.
