GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. __________________________________/\__________________________________ / \ NEOTROPICAL| NEARCTIC |PALÆARCTIC | ETHIOPIAN | ORIENTAL | AUSTRALIAN SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS. -----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+------------ | | | | | -- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|-- 2 -- -- |1. 2. 3. 4 |1. 2. 3. 4 |1 -- -- -- | | | | | The Viverridæ comprise a number of small and moderate-sized carnivorous animals, popularly known as civets, genets, and ichneumons, highly characteristic of the Ethiopian and Oriental regions, several of the genera being common to both. A species of _Genetta_, and one of _Herpestes_, inhabit South Europe; while _Viverra_ extends to the Moluccas, but is doubtfully indigenous. The extreme geographical limits of the family are marked by {195}_Genetta_ in France and Spain, _Viverra_ in Shanghae and Batchian Island, and _Herpestes_ in Java and the Cape of Good Hope. The following are the genera with their distribution as given by Dr. J. E. Gray in his latest British Museum Catalogue: Sub-family VIVERRINÆ.--_Viverra_ (3 species), North and tropical Africa, the whole Oriental region to the Moluccas; _Viverricula_ (1 species) India to Java; _Genetta_ (5 species), South Europe, Palestine, Arabia, and all Africa; _Fossa_ (1 species), Madagascar; _Linsang_ (2 species), Malacca to Java; _Poiana_ (1 species), West Africa; _Galidia_ (3 species), Madagascar; _Hemigalea_ (1 species), Malacca and Borneo; _Arctictis_ (1 species) Nepal to Sumatra and Java; _Nandinia_ (1 species), West Africa; _Paradoxurus_ (9 species), the whole Oriental region; _Paguma_ (3 species), Nepal to China, Sumatra, and Borneo; _Arctogale_ (1 species), Tenasserim to Java. Sub-family HERPESTINÆ.--_Cynogale_ (1 species), Borneo; _Galidictis_ (2 species), Madagascar; _Herpestes_ (22 species), South Palæarctic, Ethiopian, and Oriental regions; _Athylax_ (3 species), Tropical and South Africa; _Galogale_ (13 species), all Africa, North India, to Cambodja; _Galerella_ (1 species), East Africa; _Calictis_ (1 species), Ceylon (?); _Ariella_ (1 species), South Africa; _Ichneumia_ (4 species), Central, East, and South Africa; _Bdeogale_ (3 species), West and East Africa; _Urva_ (1 species), Himalayas to Aracan; _Tæniogale_ (1 species), Central India; _Onychogale_ (1 species), Ceylon; _Helogale_ (2 species) East and South Africa; _Cynictis_ (3 species), South Africa. Sub-family RHINOGALIDÆ.--_Rhinogale_ (1 species), East Africa; _Mungos_ (3 species), all Africa; _Crossarchus_ (1 species), Tropical Africa; _Eupleres_ (1 species), Madagascar; _Suricata_ (1 species), South Africa.