Viverra leakeyi aka Leakey’s Civet‭ & ‬Giant Civet

Vi-ver-ra.
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Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

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Name

Viverra leakeyi.

Phonetic

Vi-ver-ra.

Named By

Petter‭ ‬-‭ ‬1963.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Carnivora,‭ ‬Viverredae,‭ ‬Viverra.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

Size

Estimated around‭ ‬59‭ ‬centimetres high at the shoulder,‭ ‬40‭ ‬kilograms in weight.

Known locations

Ethiopia,‭ ‬Morocco,‭ ‬Kenya,‭ ‬South Africa,‭ ‬Tanzania.

Time Period

Tortonian of the Miocene through to the Pliocene.

Fossil representation

Partial remains of several individuals.

In Depth

Further Reading

– Laetoli: a Pliocene Site in Northern Tanzania. – Clarendon Press, Oxford, Great Britain – M. D. Leakey & J. M. Harris – 1987. – Basicranial anatomy of the giant viverrid from ‘E’ Quarry, Langebaanweg, South Africa. Palaeoecology and Palaeoenvironments of Late Cenozoic Mammals. – Tributes to the Career of C. S. (Rufus) Churcher 588-597. – R. M. hunt – 1996.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT