178 Mammals of Eastern Asia 
body varies from 20 to 24 inches, of the tail from 19% to 23 
inches, of the hind foot from 3 to 3% inches. In P. h. minor the 
corresponding measurements are YJ 1 /^ to 19, 17 to 20, and 2% 
to 3 inches. Numerous island races have also been distinguished. 
Palm Civets are expert climbers. They live mainly in forest, 
but nevertheless sometimes make their headquarters in the roofs 
of occupied houses. They eat fruit, mice, frogs, lizards, and 
insects. They are nocturnal, sleeping through the day. They can 
discharge a nauseating fluid from the anal glands when irritated. 
The Masked Palm Civets, genus Paguma, altogether lack 
the spots and stripes on the bodies of other Civets, except 
sometimes in newly born young. The body color varies from 
gray to red-brown. On the head the contrasting black-and- 
white pattern, which gives the name ''masked," is even more 
pronounced than in Paradoxurus. There are only 2 pairs of 
nipples. The second molars may be obsolescent. 
The typical form of the Masked Palm Civet is Paguma 
larvata, found in southeast China as far north as lat. N. 42°, 
Hainan, and Formosa, whence it spreads to eastern Burma, the 
Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. A number of scarcely 
distinguishable races have been separated: P. I. hainana in 
Hainan Island, P. I. neglecta in Assam, P. /. nigripes in upper 
Burma, P. I. intrudens in southwest China, P. I. robusta in pen- 
insular Siam, P. I. janetta in Tenasserim, P. I. jourdanii in the 
Malay Peninsula. These races differ chiefly by small details 
of the black-and-white patterns of the face. They may all con- 
dense into a northern and a southern form. 
The length of the head and body in typical P. larvata of 
southeast China is about 18 inches, of the tail 15 inches, hind 
foot 314 inches. Most of the other races are larger. The head 
and body in the Assam form varies from 25 to 26 inches, in 
specimens from southwest China from 22 to 27 inches, in 
P. I. robusta of Siam from 25 to 30 inches. 
Masked Palm Civets are omnivorous, nocturnal, tree-climb- 
