NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 
among the animals inhabiting Africa south of the 
Zambesi and.Cunene Rivers. It resembles the 
Small-spotted Genet, but instead of the spots 
being black as in the latter, they are of a rusty 
brown colour. 
Rusty-sPpoTTED GENET 
(Genetta rubiginosa) 
This species of genet was originally recorded 
from the vicinity of Cape Town, and has since 
been found to occur as far north as Angola. It 
must be common in Bechuanaland, as its skin is 
often found in karosses made in that country by 
the natives. Karosses are rugs made of the softened 
skins of animals with the hair left on. This species 
of genet can be distinguished by its body and legs 
being greyish-white with a red tinge. The stripe 
down the ridge of the back, and the spots on the 
body, are brick-red, except the lowest row, which 
are blackish. The tail at the root has usually four 
reddish rings, followed by four or five black ones. 
The tail tip is black for a greater length than in 
any of the’other species. This black tip is formed 
by two or three of the black rings merging together. 
The four species of Genets are of the same average 
size. 
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