Nandinia binotata
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata), also known as the two-spotted palm civet, is a small feliform mammal widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. It is the sole member of the superfamily Nandinioidea and the most genetically isolated carnivoran.
The African palm civet is grey to dark brown with dark spots on the back. It has short legs, small ears, a lean body, and a long, ringed tail. It has two sets of scent glands on the lower abdomen and between the third and fourth toes on each foot, which secrete a strong-smelling substance used to mark territory and in mating. Adult females reach a body length of 37–61 cm (15–24 in) with a 34–70 cm (13–28 in) long tail and weigh 1.2–2.7 kg (2.6–6.0 lb). Adult males reach 39.8–62.5 cm (15.7–24.6 in) in body length with a 43–76.2 cm (16.9–30.0 in) long tail and weigh 1.3–3 kg (2.9–6.6 lb).
The African palm civet's ear canal is not divided and cartilaginous at the end. The African palm civet ranges throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to South Sudan, south to Angola, and into eastern Zimbabwe. It has been recorded in deciduous... Wikipedia →
Uncertain0:20
Central African Republic · 2025
© Antoine Ede, Dzanga-Sangha protected Areas · XC1052405 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Call0:12
Ivory Coast · 2023
© Étienne Leroy · XC960204 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:03
Congo - Kinshasa · 2026
© Daniel Alempijevic · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taï National Park | 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast | |
| 2 | Odzala-Kokoua National Park | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poznań Nowe Zoo | 🇵🇱 Poland |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an African Palm-civet sighting in Taï National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 14 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.
May and August
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report an African Palm-civet in Taï National Park on a given day, against about 10% in March, July and September, the lowest months. October to February have too few records to rate.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Palm-civet sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate African Palm-civet sightings, Taï National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Odzala-Kokoua National Park (Republic of the Congo, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Palm-civet is recorded against all the mammals logged in Taï National Park (6 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.
