Genetta cristata

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CARNIVORA	VIVERRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Genetta cristata

Species Authority:

Hayman in Sanborn, 1940

Common Name/s:

English

–

Crested Genet

Taxonomic Notes:

Originally described as a subspecies of the Servaline Genet G. servalina, but here considered a distinct species following Rosevear (1974), Crawford-Cabral (1980-81), Van Rompaey and Colyn (1998) and the studies of Gaubert et al. (2004, 2005, 2006). See Wozencraft (2005) and Van Rompaey and Colyn (in press) for further discussion.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable A2cd ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Van Rompaey, H., Gaubert, P. & Hoffmann, M.

Reviewer/s:

Duckworth, J.W. (Small Carnivore Red List Authority) and Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Vulnerable as the species is believed to have undergone a decline of more than 30% over the last three generations (assuming a generation length of 7 years) based on habitat loss coupled with the impacts of hunting.

History:

1996	–	Endangered
1994	–	Endangered (Groombridge 1994)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon. Has been recorded as ranging from the Niger R. eastwards to the Sanaga R., but there are also records of the species from west of the Niger Delta (Van Rompaey and Colyn in press). The region between the Niger Delta and the Cross R. is heavily populated and a mosaic of forest patches and cultivated land, but recent records do exist: for example, one was recently bought at the roadside near Azumini (Angelici and Luiselli 2005). Gaubert et al. (2006) give records that show this species ranging more than 500 km south of the Sanaga R. to southern Cameroon, Gabon and Republic of Congo, as well as 180 km west of the known range in Nigeria between Oni and Epe (but these are not mapped). Ranges to more than 1,000 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Nigeria Presence uncertain: Cameroon; Congo; Gabon
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	In the Niger Delta area the Crested Genet seems common where it occurs, but there is no information on its abundance east of the Cross R. (Van Rompaey and Colyn in press).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Inhabits scrub, low tangled vegetation, and bare ground below trees in high deciduous forest. Occasionally, also present in secondary and montane forest (Van Rompaey and Colyn in press). In Nigeria, Angelici and Luiselli (2005) found that the presence of this species was statistically correlated to the presence of primary dry forest and bush-mango plantations inside the forest, and to a lesser extent secondary dry forest, and primary flooded forest but negatively influenced by the presence of suburban areas, pineapple plantations, bushlands, and oil palm plantations.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Inhabits scrub, low tangled vegetation, and bare ground below trees in high deciduous forest. Occasionally, also present in secondary and montane forest (Van Rompaey and Colyn in press). In Nigeria, Angelici and Luiselli (2005) found that the presence of this species was statistically correlated to the presence of primary dry forest and bush-mango plantations inside the forest, and to a lesser extent secondary dry forest, and primary flooded forest but negatively influenced by the presence of suburban areas, pineapple plantations, bushlands, and oil palm plantations.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat loss is probably a major threat, since the Cross River State forests are rapidly being converted into farms or wastelands and the Niger Delta is exploited as an oil-production area. They are also believed to suffer from high hunting pressure (Van Rompaey and Colyn in press).

Major Threat(s):

Habitat loss is probably a major threat, since the Cross River State forests are rapidly being converted into farms or wastelands and the Niger Delta is exploited as an oil-production area. They are also believed to suffer from high hunting pressure (Van Rompaey and Colyn in press).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is not known whether this species occurs in any protected areas, but it may occur in the Cross River National Park. There are none in the Niger Delta.

Conservation Actions:

It is not known whether this species occurs in any protected areas, but it may occur in the Cross River National Park. There are none in the Niger Delta.

Citation:	Van Rompaey, H., Gaubert, P. & Hoffmann, M. 2008. Genetta cristata. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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