The Angolan Genet is a mammal

Mammal

Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...

 from the Carnivora

Carnivora

The diverse order Carnivora |Latin]] carō "flesh", + vorāre "to devour") includes over 260 species of placental mammals. Its members are formally referred to as carnivorans, while the word "carnivore" can refer to any meat-eating animal...

 order, related to civet

Civet

The family Viverridae is made up of around 30 species of medium-sized mammal, including all of the genets, the binturong, most of the civets, and the two African linsangs....

s and linsang

Linsang

The Asiatic linsangs are two species classified in the family Prionodontidae. There is one Southeast Asian genus, Prionodon.The Asiatic linsang and the African linsang formerly were placed in the subfamily Viverrinae , along with several other genera, but recent research suggests that their...

s. It is one of fourteen species of genets

Genet (animal)

Genets are Old World mammals from the order Carnivora, family Viverridae, related to civets and linsangs. All species are contained within the genus Genetta, although the Aquatic Genet is sometimes housed in its own genus Osbornictis....

. It is endemic to Angola

Angola

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...

, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

, Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...

, Mozambique

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

, Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

, Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

 and Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

.

Description

The Angolan Genet has fur that is reddish grey to dark grey in color, with small brown spots on its body and stripes on its ringed tail that is bushier than that of other genets. It has a black muzzle, with white around the eyes and mouth. This species has a dark dorsal stripe who runs from the base of the skull down to the tail, which can be raised defensively like a mane when the animal is threatened. Five rows of elongated spots or stripes run down either side of its neck. Melanistic individuals also exist.

Its claws are semi-retractable. Its body is long and lean, set on short legs. It can erect a mane of hair along its back when frightened. The Angolan Genet's mane is relatively long, being about 2 inches (6 cm) in length. Like all viverrids, it has well-developed perineal glands used to mark territory. Genets have 40 teeth. Females have 4 teats, and males have a well-developed baculum. Both the front and hind feet have five digits, with well-furred soles. Its eyes are large and round, and its ears are large and triangular shaped.