Maria Ny’s Ask Auntie Antelope Blog

Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)
The Asian palm civet (also known as the common palm civet, musang and toddy cat) is found from the India and Sri Lanka through southern China and the Southeast Asian mainland to Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi and the Philippines. It is a highly adaptive animal and can live in dense forests, agricultural areas and even alongside humans. It inhabits forests, parks and suburban gardens with mature fruit trees, fig trees and undisturbed vegetation.

The Asian palm civet weighs 3-10 pounds (1 to 5 kg). Its average length is 17-28 inches (43.2-71 cm) and has a tail length of 16-26 inches (40.6-66 cm). Its ears are small and faintly pointed, as is its nose. It has a long and slender body with short legs. It has a coarse grayish to brown coat with black-tipped guard hairs over all. Three rows of black spots run along each side of its body. The hair around its eyes, cheeks and muzzle is black, with spots of white under each eye and on each side of its nose. The ears, feet and end of its tail are also black. The markings on its face resemble a raccoon’s. Its tail does not have rings, unlike similar palm civet species.

Both sexes have well-developed anal scent glands looking somewhat like testes, which gives the musang its species name. It can spray a noxious secretion from these glands. Its sharp claws allow it to climb trees and house gutters.

Like other civets the Asian palm civet is mainly solitary, nocturnal and arboreal. When threatened it will hiss and spit like cats, but tit is not related to cats. They are in the viverridae family, which means they are actually related to the mongoose. The Asian palm civet is frugivorous and omnivorous, meaning it eats fruits, vegetables and meats. It mainly eats berries, fleshy fruits, and the fruit of Ficus trees. It is picky about the fruit that it eats, picking only ripe fruit. It will also eat birds, rodents and insects.

They are very fond of palm sap and typically found in palm trees, which is they got their common name, “palm civet”. The sap is used by natives to make a sweet liquor called “toddy”, which gives the palm civet its other common name, “toddy cat”. It is also fond of coffee cherries, resulting in one of the latest crazes - civet coffee.

How Civet Coffee Is Made
The civet (Luwak) can only digest the outer pulp of fruit, passing the coffee beans unharmed through their digestive systems. Workers quickly harvest the beans from the civet’s feces before rain can dissipate them. The beans are then shelled from their parchment membranes, washed, and very lightly roasted to preserve the complex flavors. It is sold as caphe cut chon (fox-dung coffee) in Vietnam, Kape Alamid in the Philippines and Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) in Indonesia.

Because of how its rarity, due to the fact that the beans can’t yet be produced in mass quantites, Kopi luwak is the most expensive beverage in the world. Kopi luwak sells for more than $100 per pound in Indonesia and Malaysia. The beans are also marketed internationally. You can find it at Edible.com. cClick the “Herbivore” link under the “Departments” heading on the left side of the page. Then, click “Civet Coffee” from the right side of the page to buy it. It will cost you 22 British pounds (about $45) per ounce plus 12 British pounds (about $25) for postage.

How It Tastes
Kopi luwak is reputedly the best of all coffees because palm civets pluck and eat only the most perfectly ripe cherries. It is also believed that enzymes in the stomach of the civet add to the coffee’s flavor by breaking down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste.

University of Guelph food scientist and adjunct Prof. Massimo Marcone examined the chemical and physical properties of Kopi Luwak coffee. He found that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the Luwak was in fact affecting the beans. He discovered that the slow passage through the bacteria and enzymes in the civet’s GI tract is similar to a method of fermenting coffee called “the wet process”, including the use of the same agent: lactic acid bacteria.

Working with the African civet (Civettictis civetta) and later with the Indonesian civets, Prof. Marcone observed that the beans are slightly digested during their passage, to the extent that an enzyme process has broken down some of the proteins allowing them to leach out, resulting in a less bitter coffee.

Marcone points out that the Indonesian civets’ digestive system did a much more thorough job of breaking down the proteins than did that of the African civets. Another surprising discovery - despite the unusual fermentation path, roasted Kopi Luwak beans had lower bacterial counts than the Columbian control beans.

Those who have tried it describe it as rich, hearty flavor with a hint of a caramel or chocolate undertone that is quite delicious with no noticeable bitter aftertaste. Other terms used to describe it are earthy, musty and exotic. The coffee is almost syrupy and reputed to be very smooth.

According to the Penguin Dictionary of Biology (Abercrombie et al., 1966), Amphibia are a class of vertebrates represented by three orders: Anura (Frogs and Toads), Urodela (Newts and Salamanders) and Apoda (strange burrowing worm-like creatures called Caecelians, pronounced seh-SILL-yuns).

The word Amphibian is derived from the greek words amphi, which means “two” and “bios” means lives. This refers to the fact that they spend part of their lives under water (breathing with gills) and the remainder on land (breathing with lungs). There are about 5,500 known species of amphibians.

Amphibians are cold-blooded (ectothermic), meaning that they cannot internally regulate their body heat like mammals. They rely completely on warmth from the sunlight for warmth and a burrow, other form of shade or water to cool down. Amphibians don’t drink. Instead, they absorb water and much of the oxygen they need through their skin.

Aquatic amphibians lay their eggs in a big mass, outside the body. Fertilization occurs by the male squirting his sperm over these eggs (external fertilization). Amphibians that reproduce this way need water or moist soil for breeding. Without water, their eggs (which are not protected by a shell) would quickly dry out and the young would die before they even had a chance to develop. But, there are also many species of amphibians that fertilize their eggs internally and many that do not require water fertilization.

There are people who think that amphibians all undergo metamorphosis and that they all hatch and start off as tadpoles. This is true with the aquatic amphibians, but there are a lot of species that do not undergo the free-swimming tadpole stage. Rather, they undergo direct development in burrows to adulthood.

Some amphibians avoid the drying effects of the sun by being active only at night (nocturnal). Others shelter in moist habitats under logs, rocks, leaves, mosses and ferns.

Characteristics of Amphibians:

1. Circulatory system has a 3 chambered heart with a separate blood circuit through the lungs.
2. Skin must remain moist. It is highly vascularized because it acts as a respiratory surface (sometimes the only respiratory surface).
3. Some amphibians, the caecelians, have internal fertilization. Most amphibians deposit eggs in water where they are externally fertilized.
4. All amphibians are at least in part, dependent on environmental water.

Amphibian or Reptile?
If you see an animal and you can’t tell whether it’s an amphibian or reptile, examine the skin. If it’s hard and scaly with scutes or bony plates, it’s a reptile. An amphibian’s skin is soft and smooth or warty-looking, and it may also be moist.

What kind of amphibian is it?
If it has legs and a tail, it’s a salamander or newt. If it doesn’t have a tail but has legs, it’s a frog or toad. And it’s easy to tell Caecelians from other types of amphibians because they look like worms.

The largest amphibian is the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), at 6 feet long (1.8 meters) and 140 pounds (63 kilograms), and the smallest is an Izecksohn’s toad (Brachycephalus didactylus) that weighs just a few grams.

Around a third of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Traditional threats to species and ecosystems (such as habitat loss and pollution) are being compounded by new threats such as climate change and emerging disease.

There actually are no scientific distinctions between frogs and toads. The term “frog” is actually a general term for any amphibian grouped under the superorder Salienta and order Anura, which includes all species of frogs and toads. The name Anura comes from the Greek an (without) and ura (a tail), referring to their tailless condition. Twenty-five families with over 4,000 Anuran species are currently recognized today, with more being discovered regularly.

Characteristics all frogs and toads share in common include the fact that all frogs and toads:

• Are amphibians, meaning double life because many species of both spend part of their time in aquatic (water) and terrestrial (land) environments. Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrate animals. Unlike reptiles, amphibians have no scales.
• Hatch from eggs as tadpoles and experience the process of metamorphosis, meaning a change (meta) in form (morpho). At birth, the tadpoles will generally attach themselves to wees or grass in the water. In 7 to 10 days, they start swimming around and feeding on algae. They start absorbing their tails and growing legs after about 6 to 9 weeks. About 12 weeks of age, tadpoles become froglets and only have tiny stubby tails. Between 12 and 16 weeks, froglets completely absorb their tails and leave the water, becoming adult frogs.
• Can breathe through their skins.
• Lay eggs in water or in moist terrestrial sites.
• Rest with their eyes closed and hibernate in the winter.

However, while all toads are frogs, not all frogs are toads. True frogs (members of the family Ranidae, containing more than 400 species) are not considered toads. And, even though there are several families of toad, the common name “toad” is given specifically to members of the family Bufonidae (true toads), which contains more than 300 species. Here are some of the differences between true frogs and true toads:

• True frogs can be found on every continent except Antarctica. True toads can be found worldwide except in Australasia (a region of Oceania that includes Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean), polar regions, Madagascar, and Polynesia. However, the giant toad (Bufo marinus), also known as the cane toad and marine toad, has been artificially introduced into Australia and some South Pacific islands.
• True frogs have two bulging eyes and long, strong legs for hopping. They also have fully-webbed hind feet that are adapted for swimming. True toads have fat boddies with short legs that are mainly used for walking instead of hopping. They have almost no webbing on their hind feet.
• True frogs generally spend most of their lives in or near water, so they have smooth, clammy skin. True toads are typically land-dwellers that find their way into gardens and yards. They have dry, bumpy skin.
• True frogs are usually brightly colored. True toads, on the other hand, are generally well-camouflaged to blend in with their environments.
• True frogs are active hunters, leaping out to pull in their prey. True toads are ambush hunters that wait for their prey to pass before attacking.
• True toads have paratoid (poison) glands behind the eyes. They exude a white fluid through these glands and through their skin that is very poisonous. It causes intense burning if it comes in contact with the eyes or mouth.
• True toads have a special organ that true frogs don’t have–the Bidder’s organ, which is a vestigial ovary that is found in the male toad.
• True frogs have upper and lower teeth. True toads don’t have upper teeth.
• True frogs generally lay their eggs in clusters, while most true toads lay theirs in long chains, with the exception of genera Nectophrynoides–the only anurans that bear live young.
• A true frog’s back is raised with two ridges down each side. True toads have a more flattened appearance.
• The true toad’s chest cartilage is different than that of the true frog’s.
• A group of frogs is called an “army”, while a group of toads is called a “knot”.

Yes, it can. Rattles are delicate and can be lost to predators. They can also get caught somewhere or be lost by other means.

There are over 500 species of venomous snakes, distributed worldwide grouped into two main categories: rear-fanged and front-fanged.

Both types have hollow fangs with a cavity running down most of its length. These fangs work like hypodermic needles. Venom from the venom gland enters the snake’s fangs through the venom duct and travels down the hollow canal in the snake’s fangs when the snake opens its mouth. The venom is then injected into the victim through its incredibly sharp, pointed fang tip orifices (openings) when the snake bites down. When biting, a front-fanged snake merely strikes, ejecting the veonom the moment the fangs penetrate the skin, then immediately letting go. While the rear-fanged species actually close their jaws like a dog and hold the prey firmly for a considerable amount of time.

Some species of cobra, commonly called “spitting cobras”, can actually shoot venom from their mouths accurately at a distance of about 4 to 8 feet. Another species of snake, the Rinkhals Cobra, can also spit venom. It is not actually a cobra, but is closely related to them.

Spitting snakes have modified fangs. Inside the fangs are channels which make a 90-degree bend in the lower front of each fang. When these snakes are threatened, the muscles of the venom gland squeeze the venom sack, projecting the venom forward while air expelled from the snake’s lung blows or sprays the venom at its intended victim with the velocity equivalent to that of a water pistol.

Spitting snakes can spit 30 to 40 times in succession and still deliver a lethal bite. Spitting is only used for self-defense against larger animals and humans, not for killing its prey. The snake aims for the eyes of a perceived threat where a direct hit can cause temporary shock and blindness by severely inflaming the cornea and conjunctiva. If left untreated, the blindness could become permanent. To treat, flush the eyes out with plenty of milk. If milk is not available, water will work. In an emergency, urine is an acceptable treatment. Venom on the skin isn’t dangerous, but open wounds could possibly become envenomated.

The size of the snake’s venom gland, venom toxicity, size of the fangs and the size of the fang openings determine how toxic the venom is. Most rear-fanged snakes deliver small amounts of venom slowly and therefore are not a major health threat to humans because their fangs and fang openings are small, and they generally have small venom glands. However, there are notable exceptions, such as the African boomslang which has been responsible for human fatalities. Front-fanged snakes are the most common and recognizable venomous snakes. These snakes are responsible for human fatalities world-wide because their fangs and fang openings are larger and their venom glands are generally larger, as well.

The gila monster is one of two poisonous lizards in the world. The other is the Mexican beaded lizard. The gila monster, like the Mexican beaded lizard, inject venom into its prey by biting down and squirting the venom down through gooves in its teeth.

“Firefly” is the common name for the nocturnal luminous insects belonging to the beetle family Lampyridae (order Coleoptera). They are also known as lightning bugs. These names come from the fact that some species as adults emit flashes of light to attract mates in order to reproduce, using special light-emitting, photic organs in the abdomen.

The photic organs produce light by means of a chemical reaction consisting of Luciferin (a substrate) combined with Luciferase (an enzyme), ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and oxygen, producing a “cold light” because there is almost no heat in the glow. When these components are added, light is produced. All known firefly larvae (also known as glowworms) produce light, but many species of fireflies do not glow as adults.

At night, the last abdominal segment of the firefly glows a bright yellow-green color. The firefly can control this glowing effect. The brightness of a single firefly is 1/40 of a candle, which is why the ancient Chinese sometimes captured fireflies in transparent or semi-transparent containers and used them as (short-term) lanterns. Fireflies use their glow to attract other fireflies. Males flash about every five seconds; females flash about every two seconds.

The rattle is made up of nested, hollow beads of dry, hard pieces of modified scales from the tail tip. A new rattle segment is added each time the snake sheds. The vibration of these shell-like rings on the end of its tail is what makes the rattling sound.

Some people think that you can tell the age of a rattlesnake by how many beads there are on its rattle–they think that snakes only shed once a year. But, this isn’t true. Rattlesnakes shed as they grow, and even as adults shed more than once a year. Plus, rattlesnakes sometimes lose their rattles to predators or by other means. So, the rattle is not an accurate way to determine a rattlesnake’s age. However, the number of rings can sometimes determine how big the snake is. Baby rattlesnakes are born without rattles. They don’t form the first segment of their rattle until one to two weeks of age when they shed their skin for the first time. As the snake grows, the number of segments increases. So the louder the rattle, the bigger the snake unless the snake has lost segments of its rattle or lost the rattle altogether.

Snake venom is a highly-mofified saliva produced by specialized glands, called “venom glands.” Venom consists of complex mixtures of many toxins and enzymes which effectively immobilize prey and assist in digestion. All snake venoms have one or more of the following components: hemotoxins (including hemorrhagins and hemolysins), myotoxins, and neurotoxins. Enzymes in snake venom include Amino acide oxidases and proteases, Hyaluronidase, Phosphodiesterase and ATPases.

• Hemotoxins primarily attacks the blood by destroying red blood cells and preventing coagulation while at the same time aggressively destroying its victim’s blood vessels.
• Myotoxins lead to severe muscle necrosis (death of cells and living tissue in the muscles). Myotoxins act very quickly, causing instantenous paralysis, to prevent prey from escaping, and eventual death due to diaphragmactic paralysis (paralysis of the diaphragm)–the diaphragm is crucial for drawing air into the lungs.
• Neurotoxins attacks the nervous system, causing massive respiratory malfunctions, heart failure and even paralysis. These symptoms are also normally accompanied by blurred vision, dry mouth, a metal taste and dizziness.
• Phosphodiesterases are used to interfere with the prey’s cardiac system, mainly to lower the blood pressure.
• Hyaluronidase increases tissue permeability which increases the rate that venom is absorbed into the prey’s tissues.
• Amino acid oxidases and proteases help the snake digest its prey. It also causes the venom of some species to be yellow.
• ATPases are used for breaking down ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) to disrupt the prey’s energy fuel use.