Social behavior of masked palm civet in an urban habitat
Journal
Mammal Research
Journal Volume
71
Journal Issue
2
Start Page
28
ISSN
2199-2401
Date Issued
2026-02-18
Author(s)
Abstract
Social behaviors that involve the sharing of parental duties—such as helping to care for offspring—have been shown to increase juvenile survival in various mammalian species. However, such behaviors have not been observed in solitary species within the family Viverridae, let alone in urban environments. This study utilized radiotracking to investigate a case of female helper in masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) in a densely populated city in Taiwan. We tracked a breeding female and a helper female from September 2023 to March 2024. When juveniles closely followed the adults, the two females often rested near each other. Their nocturnal activity areas overlapped considerably throughout the period. Additionally, one juvenile was observed beside the helper female, engaging in mutual grooming, while another juvenile tended to follow its mother more often, suggesting a possible division of parental care. We also used the camera-trapping records and citizen science reports, which rarely documented groups containing two adults and juveniles in masked palm civets, although such opportunistic data likely underestimate the true frequency of these social groupings. Our study provides a valuable case of social behavior in a viverrid species in an urban area, contributing to the understanding of their social relationships and reproductive strategies.
Subjects
Camera-trapping
Citizen science
Helper
Parental care
Viverridae
Publisher
Springer Nature
Description
Article number 28
Type
journal article