Giant Forest Genets (Genetta victoriae): Ringtails of Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda

It does not involve a lot of effort to discover what African and Eurasian common small-spotted genets (Genetta genetta) look like. The day-sleeping, night-working, opportunistically-foraging, tree-dwelling carnivorous mammals in question draw upon ancient interactions as favored pets to Egypt’s Pharaohs, North Africa’s Muslims, and Spain’s Moors. Nowadays they encounter no problems in:

• Adapting to life in parks, reserves, and zoos;
• Becoming amiable pets along with cats and dogs, but not with birds and hamsters.

They therefore find themselves the most recognized of the world’s 14 – 17, predominantly Africa-based genet species. But this exposure goes against the prevailing limelight-shunning reclusiveness of typically diminutive genets in general and the (only slightly larger) giant forest genet (Genetta victoriae) in particular.

Scientists honor Millbrook-born British zoologist extraordinaire Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (February 21, 1858 – June 16, 1929) for making giant forest genets known outside East African bio-geographies in:

• Democratic Republic of Congo;
• Rwanda (per Moscow-born zoologist Vladimir Dinets in 2005);
• Uganda.

Oldfield’s taxonomy of 1901 involves a specimen recorded as collected from the Entebbe shores of Lake Victoria by Denbigh-born Welsh cartographer, explorer, painter, photographer, polyglot, and writer Sir Henry Hamilton Johnston (June 12, 1858 – July 31, 1927). Consistent with all of Oldfield’s 1,000+ publications and 2,000+ descriptions, the identification is true even though the specimen actually represents the Lupanzula area, 10 miles (16.09 kilometers) west of Beni, in the Semliki National Park portion of the Ituri Forest.

Four genets are sympatric (same-ranging) with giant forest genets. Common genets avoid the dense rainforests relished by:

• Aquatic genets (Genetta piscivora);
• Giant forest genets;
• Rusty-spotted panther genets (Genetta maculata);
• Servaline genets (Genetta servalina).

Aquatic genets cannot be found in the mixed forest and savannah mosaics that are acceptable to common, giant, panther, and servaline genets. Aquatic and giant genets do not frequent the montane forests and woodland savannahs that common, panther, and servaline genets tolerate. Deciduous forest adaptabilities notwithstanding, giant genets uniquely favor lowland and middle-elevation rainforest niches up to 5,905.52+ feet (1,800+ meters) above sea level and monthly configurations of:

• 5.52 inches (140.08 millimeters) in precipitation;
• 57.73 inches (1,466.33 millimeters) in evapo-transpiration;
• 74.19°F (23.44°C) in temperature.

Specific niches within East Africa’s forested and wooded habitats therefore claim aquatic, common, giant forest, rusty-spotted panther, and servaline genets. Physical differences compound bio-geographical distinctions. Each genet indeed is distinguishable by:

• Body coloring;
• Distribution and patterning of spots;
• Mature size;
• Number and width of tail rings.

But an easy identification may be realized just by examining the genet in question’s balance- and ballast-acting, plush tail.

• Aquatic genets do not have ringtails.
• Common genets have bright-tipped tails with 8 – 9 thick white bands.
• Giant genets have black-tipped, super-thick tails with 6 – 8 thin white rings.
• Panther genets have black-tipped, thin tails with 6 – 9 broad white rings.
• Servaline genets have bright-tipped, thin tails with 9 – 11 bright stripes.

Giant forest genets are as agile, sinewy, and sleek as all other genets. But size differences become noticeable when comparing dead and live species. They do not detract from the giant genet’s physique of:

• Alert, big ears;
• Big, dark-adapted, rounded eyes whose eyeshine is yellow;
• Crested nape;
• Cylindrical, dark-tipped, short, super-plush tail with 6 – 8 dark bands separating 80%-thinner off-white rings and sporting an almost undetectable dark longitudinal stripe;
• Dark limbs and thick under-chin line;
• Dark mid-dorsal line overlaid with a yellow-white stripe and running discontinuously from shoulders to tail base;
• Dark-and-light spotted under-sides;
• Dark-haired, light-padded paw soles;
• Thick white lower eye-rings;
• 2 dark bands running from each ear down each side of the neck;
• Yellow-white upper-sides.

Scientists are unacquainted with giant genet life cycles and natural histories. From prevailing genet lifestyles, they guesstimate:

• Birds, fruits, insects, and small amphibians, mammals and reptiles as prey;
• Food-web participation and pest and vegetation control as obligate roles;
• Mammals, raptors, and reptiles as predators;
• Tree branches, burrows and hollows as dens.

They know that physical and sexual maturity expresses:

• Dentition of 6 incisors, 2 canines, 8 premolars, and 4 molars per lower and upper jaws;
• Head-and-body lengths of 20.47 – 23.62 inches (520 – 600 millimeters);
• Paw lengths of 3.54 – 4.02 inches (98 – 102 millimeters);
• Tail lengths of 16.26 – 19.29 inches (413 – 490 millimeters);
• Tail-hair lengths of 1.58 – 1.77 inches (40 – 45 millimeters);
• Weights of 7.72 pounds (3.5 kilograms).

Twenty-first century Africa appears mysterious to experts and non-specialists alike.  The continent still attracts entrepreneurs questing resources, environmentalists relishing beauty, and experts seeking answers. Giant forest genets consequently join with their fellow species in occupying forefronts in:

• Modernizing and tradition-bound overlaps;
• Urban and wildland interfaces.

They may be considered prepared and unprepared for such stresses. They offer as self-defenses:

• Bio-geographies extending 310.69 miles (500 kilometers) further southward than historically indicated;
• Extra-fast digitigrade (on-the-digits, tiptoed) escapes;
• Handstand-released, nauseating, territory-marking stink-bombs;
• Super-sharp biting, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching;
• 20 curved, retractable, strong claws;
• Two-pawed boxing.

They need governmental protection and scientific research against:

• Intense agro-industrialism;
• Intensified globally-warmed climate change;
• Intensifying habitat loss;
• Intensive bushmeat- and fur hatmaking-related hunting.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

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oil on canvas by John Ernest Breun (1862-1921): Kristofer M. Helgen, Roberto Portela Miguez, James Kohen, Lauren Helgen/ZooKeys, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Michael_Rogers_Oldfield_Thomas_-_ZooKeys-255-103-g003-bottom_right.jpeg; via Pensoft Publishers / ZooKeys @ https://zookeys.pensoft.net/showimg.php?filename=oo_25946.jpg

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J.A. Allen, "Carnivora Collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition."
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J.A. Allen, "Carnivora Collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition."
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J.A. Allen, "Carnivora Collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition."
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