We encounter civet cats on our slow loris/civet tours in Krabi because most people don’t come on vacation to our area to focus just on finding the civets – as amazing as they are!
The Asian (Common) Palm Civet is the civet we see most often here in Krabi. The species is, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus.
About Civet Cats
- Habitat: Krabi primary and secondary rainforests, parks, gardens, mangroves, and scrub forests. Here in Krabi we mostly see them in the dense forest at night with their eery glowing eyes. They can be anywhere from 2 meters (6 feet) to 30 meters (98 feet) up in the trees. Usually we’re able to see them with some clarity, but occasionally all we will see is their glowing reflective eyes in our flashlights.
- Diet: Omnivorous and feeding primarily on fruit like berries, mango, rambutan, and coffee fruits. They also will consume insects, small mammals, birds, and palm flower sap. Through seed dispersal, they play a vital role in forest regeneration.
- Reproduction: In Krabi, civet cats breed throughout the year on tree branches usually since nearly all of their time is spent off the ground. Their gestation period is around 2 months before they have live young. They tend to stay in hollowed out trees that are still standing.
- Conservation Status: IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern due to its wide distribution and large populations. Threatened by poaching and illegal wildlife trade, particularly for kopi luwak production. Listed on CITES Appendix III. Quota system in Indonesia is ignored. Growing pet trade is a concern.
Krabi Palm Civet Physical Characteristics
- Appearance:
- Long, stocky body covered with coarse, shaggy, greyish hair.
- White mask across the forehead, white patches under the eyes, and white spots on the nostrils. Civets resemble smaller faced raccoons.
- Black muzzle, ears, lower legs, and distal half of the tail.
- Three rows of black markings on the body.
- Colors: Primarily greyish with sometimes purple hues, with black and white markings.
- Weight and Size: Head-to-body length: approximately 53 cm. Tail length: approximately 48 cm.
- Abilities: Nocturnal, with peak activity between late evening and after midnight. Excellent climbers with sharp claws.
Palm Civet Tour Itinerary
- Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Duration: 2-hour walking tour. 3-hour tours also available if more wildlife is included.
- Activities:
- Guided hike through appropriate habitat.
- Look for signs of civet cats (scats, tracks, calls).
- Learn about civet cat behavior and ecology.
- Enjoy the sounds of the night.
- Cost: Please fill out our night wildlife form for this civet tour and we’ll send you the current prices. Rates change throughout the year and it’s too hard to keep track of all prices on the website accurately. 🙂
Additional Information
- Kids Under 12: Free of charge.
- What to Bring: Comfortable walking shoes, socks, pants, insect repellent, hat, water bottle.
- Guide has rain ponchos in case of shower – for 50 THB each.
We combine our Slow Loris and Civet tours since they are both in the same area and we’re looking up in the trees anyway! We can also find Colugos during this time – winged mammals that can glide tree to tree!
Join Our Civet and Slow Loris Night Walk
through the Krabi Rainforest! Fill out the form here >