Hemigalus derbyanus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The banded palm civet (Hemigalus derbyanus), also called the banded civet, is a viverrid native to Indomalaya. They primarily inhabit lowland conifer habitat, which is under threat from encroaching human activity. It is estimated the population of the banded palm civet has decreased by around 30% in just three generations. Banded palm civets are usually approximately the size of a domestic cat; their fur is pale but with dark bands on the back. They are believed to be closely related to Hose's palm civets, which are similar in appearance and distribution.
The banded palm civet is the only species in its genus, first scientifically described in 1837. The species comprises four subspecies, distributed across Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Two of the subspecies diverged from each other as long ago as 2.7 million years.
Banded palm civets are affected by a variety of parasites, such as nematodes, and are primarily carnivorous, eating small animals such as rodents and bugs. They have sensitive hairs on their paws which help them to detect potential prey.
The genus Hemigalus was named and first described in 1837 by Claude Jourdan who had a skin and skeleton of one zoological... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville Zoo at Grassmere | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Memphis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Bangkok Aquarium | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Civet sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 26 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–June, August and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Civet in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Banded Civet sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Banded Civet sightings, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 20%).
Same family: Viverridae
The closest relatives of the Banded Civet that you can see in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (family Viverridae, Civets, Genets, and Oyans) are Common Palm Civet (about 40%), Malay Civet (about 40%) and Small-toothed Palm Civet (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Banded Civet is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (34 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.
