Viverricula indica
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in agricultural and secondary landscapes of many range states.
This is the only species in genus Viverricula. The small Indian civet has a rather coarse fur that is brownish grey to pale yellowish brown, with usually several longitudinal black or brown bands on the back and longitudinal rows of spots on the sides. Usually there are five or six distinct bands on the back and four or five rows of spots on each side. Some have indistinct lines and spots, with the dorsal bands wanting. Generally there are two dark stripes from behind the ear to the shoulders, and often a third in front, crossing the throat. Its underfur is brown or grey, often grey on the upper parts of the body and brown on the lower. The grey hairs on the upper parts are often tipped with black. The head is grey or brownish grey, the chin often brown. The ears are short and rounded with a dusky mark behind each ear, and one in front of each eye. The feet are brown... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 4 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Indian Civet sighting in Minneriya National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 18 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and April
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Small Indian Civet in Minneriya National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and October–February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Indian Civet sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Small Indian Civet sightings, Minneriya National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Wilpattu National Park (Sri Lanka, about 30%), Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 20%) and Cat Tien National Park (Vietnam, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Indian Civet is recorded against all the mammals logged in Minneriya National Park (7 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.
