Abstract:

Aims: The small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) is a national first-class key protected wild animal in China. However, there is very little information about the current distribution and habitat ecology of this species in China. The aims of this study were to: (1) understand how the diel activity pattern of V. indica is affected by sympatric species and human activities; and (2) investigate habitat selection of V. indica in Hainan Datian National Nature Reserve.
Methods: From October 2021 to August 2023, the diel activity pattern and habitat selection of V. indica in the nature reserve were studied by camera trapping, with 120 camera traps placed at 50 sites. A non-parametric circular kernel-density method was adopted to analyze the diel activity patterns of V. indica, sympatric leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), murine rodents, squirrels, and humans. We used the Mann-Whitney U test to compare differences in habitat characteristics between plots where V. indica were detected (number of plots N = 13) and those where they were not (N = 19). These habitat characteristics included the number of prey animals (murine rodents and squirrels), tree diameter at breast height, tree height, grass cover, distance to the nearest water source, and distance to the nearest road. Vanderploeg & Scavia’s resource selection index was used to select three discrete variables to model civets’ habitat preferences: vegetation types, tree canopy, and disturbance intensity.
Results: Our sampling effort totaled 24,778 camera days, during which we recorded 48 independent detections of V. indica from 13 sites, thus confirming that V. indica was stably distributed in the region. The diel activity pattern of the species was strictly nocturnal, with a nighttime activity peak around 22:00. The study suggested that the activities of V. indica didn’t align with human activity, with a very low temporal overlap index (∆ = 0.04) between them. Squirrels had similar activity rhythms to humans, which obviously differed from V. indica (∆ = 0.14). The activity time of V. indica and P. bengalensis overlapped greatly (∆ = 0.58), but their activity rhythms were significantly different (P < 0.001). Murine rodents were common prey of V. indica and P. bengalensis, with both predators displaying a large temporal overlap with murine rodents (V. indica: ∆ = 0.77; P. bengalensis: ∆ = 0.65). In terms of habitat selection, V. indica preferred Mangifera indica forests, which feature moderate levels of tree canopy (50% to 75%) as well as low to medium disturbance intensity. In addition, plots used by V. indica had significantly greater numbers of prey animals than unused plots (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: The diel activity pattern of V. indica was strictly nocturnal. They obviously avoided human activities, and their activity rhythms were significantly different from P. bengalensis. Viverricula indica preferred habitats with abundant food resources in Mangifera indica forests, featuring a moderate level of tree canopy and weak to moderate disturbance.

Key words: small Indian civet, camera trapping, diel activity pattern, habitat selection, Hainan, species distribution