Viverricula indica
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Small Indian Civet sighting in Wilpattu National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 19 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Small Indian Civet in Wilpattu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July–September and November–January, the lowest months. That is one of Wilpattu National Park's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 320 mm in November.
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.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Small Indian Civet sightings, Wilpattu National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 20%) and Cat Tien National Park (Vietnam, about 20%).
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Small Indian Civet that you can see in Wilpattu National Park (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are Leopard (about 80%), Ruddy Mongoose (about 80%) and Sloth Bear (about 80%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Indian Civet is recorded against all the mammals logged in Wilpattu 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.
