Genet (animal)

Genus of carnivorans

A genet (pronounced '/dʒ//ɛ//n//ᵻ//t/ or /dʒ//ə/'/n//ɛ//t/) is a member of the genus Genetta, which consists of 17 species of small African carnivorans. The common genet is the only genet present in Europe and occurs in the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and France. Genet fossils from the Late Miocene and later have been found at sites in Ethiopia, Kenya and Morocco.

Genets are slender cat like animals with a long body, a long ringed tail, large ears, a pointed muzzle and partly retractile claws. Their fur is spotted, but melanistic genets have also been recorded. They have musk glands and anal sacs. They also have perineal glands. All genet species have a dark stripe along the spine; they differ in fur color and spot pattern. Their size varies between species from in head to body length with long tails; their tails are almost as long as head and body.

All genet species are indigenous to Africa. The common genet was introduced to southwestern Europe during historical times. In Africa, it inhabits wooded habitats north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coast of Arabia, Yemen and Oman. The Cape genet is endemic to fynbos, grassland and coastal forests in South Africa. The South African small spotted genet lives in woodland savanna, grassland, thickets, dry vlei areas in Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. The pardine genet lives in primary and secondary rainforests, gallery forests, moist woodlands, but also in plantations and suburban areas ranging from Senegal to the Volta River in Ghana. The Abyssinian genet has been recorded in montane dry forest up to in Ethiopia. The King genet is restricted to rainforest in the Congo Basin, Bioko Island, Ghana and Liberia. The Angolan genet inhabits open miombo forest from Angola to central Tanzania. The giant forest genet lives in rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and western Uganda. The Hausa genet inhabits savannah and moist woodlands in West Africa. The aquatic genet inhabits rainforests between the Congo River and the Rift Valley. The crested servaline genet is endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon, where it inhabits scrub and primary deciduous forests. Schouteden's genet inhabits rainforest, woodland savannah and savannah forest mosaic in tropical Africa. In 2014, a camera trap in the Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park captured a large spotted genet riding on the back of two different buffalo and a rhinoceros. This was the first time a genet was recorded hitch hiking. Females have up to five young in a litter. Captive common genets have been known to live up to 13 years. A male genet lived for 22.7 years in captivity.

Loss of habitat due to deforestation and conversion of land to agriculture is a major threat for the crested servaline genet and Johnston's genet. Both genet species are also hunted for meat and skins. They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red Lists. These are also major threats for Bourlon's genet, which is classified as Near Threatened. The aquatic genet may be affected by hunting, but major threats have not yet been identified. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. The king genet and the Abyssinian genet are so poorly known that threats cannot be identified. Both are listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red Lists. The remaining genet species are not considered threatened and are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red Lists.

The etymological origin of the word 'genet' is uncertain; it may be a derivation of the Arabic name djarnet.

Pet genets are mostly common genets, rusty spotted genets or Cape genets.